[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 51 (Tuesday, May 3, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           HEALTH CARE REFORM

  Mr. COVERDELL. Mr. President, 1 week ago today, this past Tuesday, 
basically because of the events surrounding the loss of our former 
President, Richard Nixon--a moment, I might say, that caused pause for 
the Nation to reflect on the half century of dominance by the former 
President on the national stage, and as we might expect when something 
of that occurs, all else seems to pale from the scene. But a little 
noted event of significant import did occur this past Tuesday. That was 
the announcement to the Nation on the part of the U.S. Chamber of 
Commerce on the ongoing dialog with regard to health care and health 
care reform in our Nation.
  There are 220,000 members, large and small businesses of the U.S. 
Chamber, a rather significant and prominent group in our Nation, and 
they have been in the business for the last several months of surveying 
their membership with regard to their attitudes and views on multiple 
proposals for health care.
  It is very interesting because the survey was most elaborate. It was 
not the questions or the several pages that you had to spend 
considerable time on, Mr. President, to determine exactly how you might 
respond. What is so terribly interesting about it is that the response 
was the largest in the history of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Never 
before have so many responded. Over a quarter of the members of the 
220,000 took the time to prepare this elaborate document and send it 
in.
  At the outset, that is encouraging for me because it indicates that 
citizens and businesses are paying attention. There are lots of pieces 
of legislation that come through this august Chamber that, I might say, 
not every American is alert to or quite attuned to what the results 
will be. But if there ever was a proposal for which everyone in the 
country ought to be attentive, it is President's proposal for health 
care reform.
  So the fact that the largest number in the history of the Chamber 
responded ought to be encouraging to everyone. I am finding that in 
general, as I travel across our State of Georgia and the country, that 
people are with increasing intensity beginning to focus on the 
magnitude of this proposal. I think they are beginning to understand 
that it will have, if adopted, a massive impact on every citizen, every 
family, every business, and every community leader.
  For quite some period of time, I have argued that the focus of our 
reform ought to be targeted, that essentially some 80 percent of our 
fellow citizens are reasonably well served by the current health 
system, and that some 20 percent or less of our citizens are having 
some difficulty with the medical system. Some of those difficulties are 
significant, some less so. But it is important to note that about 80 
percent, 8 out of 10 Americans, are satisfied to very satisfied with 
what is happening.
  The reason I mention those figures is that to me the data that came 
from this important survey is multiple and corroborative, I think. It 
asks the Chamber members' views on proposed health care concepts. They 
call it ``plan.'' But essentially they are concepts, Mr. President, and 
the first one was: Is it acceptable or unacceptable to focus on 
enhancing the current system? That is the point I was just making, that 
if you have 8 out of 10 Americans reasonably well served and 2 out of 
10 not so well served, do you cash in the whole program, or do you 
focus on the issues that are troubling the 2 out of 10?
  On enhancement of the current system, Mr. President, 84 percent of 
those who responded--that was 40,000-plus--said that was the acceptable 
way to proceed; 12.3 percent found that to be unacceptable. It goes 
through expanding low-income coverage, and that is a draw--45 percent 
think that it is, and 43 percent think it is not.
  Mandated employer coverage, total disagreement: 23 percent 
acceptable, 71 not.
  Mandated individual coverage: 39 percent acceptable, but 52 percent 
not.
  It starts to get in the debate area. But undebatable, Mr. President, 
is the concept ``Government-run system.''
  Should we move in this country to a system managed by the Government, 
like the Postal Department? Acceptable: 7.7 percent. Unacceptable: 87 
plus percent.
  This is not just a smattering, or an isolated opinion. This is coming 
from big and small entrepreneurs from every State of our Union.
  The salient fact and, finally, Mr. President, is that 84 percent are 
focused on taking what we have, recognizing that it is a good system, 
and making it better. They are calling on us to make this system 
better. And only 7 percent--hardly a handful--would opt for turning 
this massive, private, personal service over to an ever-expanded 
Government, with 87 percent totally rejecting that concept.
  Mr. President, I think these findings are significant, both in number 
and size and diversity, and coming from all across the Nation. And the 
magnitude of the statement, which also corresponds, ironically, with 
just about a split in the Nation that are being well served or 
unserved. But this is a very significant finding, and it was rather 
unnoticed. As we move into this year of significant debate on the 
question of health care reform, I feel that these findings need to be 
at the center of our discussions.
  Mr. President, having opened with that statement with regard to the 
U.S. Chamber poll, I yield 5 minutes of my time to the distinguished 
Senator from Utah [Mr. Bennett].
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Utah is recognized for 5 
minutes.

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