[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 43 (Tuesday, April 19, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: April 19, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
    TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME, BUT DON'T TAKE ME TO THE HOSPITAL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Danner). Under the Speaker's announced 
policy of February 11, 1994, the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Boehner] is 
recognized for 3 minutes.
  Mr. BOEHNER. Madam Speaker, take me out to the ball game, but don't 
take me to the hospital--that's the way the song goes in Canada. Last 
week the Cincinnati Reds' catcher, Joe Oliver, learned the hard way 
about how government-run health care works in Canada.
  In a game last week in Montreal, Oliver hurt his ankle in a collision 
at home plate and was taken to the hospital for x rays. The hospital 
was complete with battered tables and beaten-up chairs and a 1970's 
style telephone system, complete with rotary dials.
  After waiting hours to see a doctor, Oliver was even less impressed 
with the care that he received. ``I got a look at socialized medicine 
here in Canada and I don't like it. It is a joke. If that is the 
future, I don't want any part of it.'' On the quality of service he 
received, Oliver commented: ``In fact, I am not so sure the x ray was 
even mine.''
  It is not just Canada today, and it is not just ball players. In this 
morning's Washington Post, in the A section, there is an article 
entitled, ``Canada's vaunted health care system: Limiting coverage, 
reducing services.'' Why? Because they are out of money.
  Members may recall last December in the Province of Ontario, the 
Canadian Government limited services in hospitals to only emergency 
care, and all other elective surgery was put aside until January 
because the Government was out of money. Yet, this week on Thursday, 
the House Committee on Education and Labor is going to meet. They are 
going to make up, apparently, and move out of committee two different 
versions, a version of the Clinton health care plan which is just one 
step shy of the other plan they are going to move out of committee, and 
single-payer Canadian-style health care system.
  Mr. Speaker, the American people do not want a Government-run health 
care system. If the President gets his way, that is exactly what we are 
going to have. President Clinton's health care plan will establish a 
Government-run bureaucracy here in Washington and in each of the States 
that is going to determine what kind of health care the American people 
will get.
  That is not what the American people want. They want to control their 
own health care, and they want to make those choices about health care 
themselves. That is exactly what various Republican proposals, 
including the Michel-Lott bill, that has more cosponsors than any other 
bill in the Congress, proposes to do, change medical malpractice, put 
medical standards in place for doctors, deal with those that have 
preexisting conditions, deal with portability.
  In fact, the Michel-Lott bill has more cosponsors and it is a bill 
that could have broad bipartisan support. Take it from an American 
citizen who has experienced the Canadian Government-run health care 
system. The American people are counting on us to deliver for them. Let 
us not strike out in our efforts.

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