[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]

 
  ECONOMICS OF EMPLOYER MANDATES IN HEALTH CARE REFORM IS SUBJECT OF 
                         UPCOMING SPECIAL ORDER

  (Mrs. JOHNSON of Connecticut asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. JOHNSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, tonight I will be holding a 
special order on the economic implications of an employer mandate in 
health care reform. I believe this is one of the most critical issues 
involved in the health care reform debate. For that reason, I along 
with several of my colleagues will discuss the very serious economic 
and health care cost containment implications of requiring America's 
employers to finance health care reform.
  Tonight we will look at the significant job losses the American 
worker can expect if an employer mandate, similar to the 
administration's or the mandate included in the Stark proposal, were to 
pass this Congress. We will also discuss the very serious disincentives 
an employer mandate would have on job creation and job growth among 
small employers.
  We will look very closely at the serious impact an employer mandate 
would have on the ability of women to enter into our work force and, 
more importantly, on their ability to expand upon the very real gains 
they have made recently in creating new businesses.
  Finally, we will focus on the real world experiences of American 
businesses successfully managing their health care costs, much more 
effectively than the Congress has managed the costs of public programs. 
An employer mandate would completely eliminate the most promising means 
of restraining cost increases and replace it with a system that has 
already proven itself as an utter failure in providing high quality 
cost effective care.
  I encourage my colleagues to tune in to this special order this 
evening as it is perhaps the most important aspect of the health care 
reform debate and is certainly worthy of your attention.

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