[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 53 (Thursday, May 5, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: May 5, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
             CLINTON'S HEALTH CARE MEANS EMPLOYER MANDATES

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                           HON. TERRY EVERETT

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 5, 1994

  Mr. EVERETT. Mr. Speaker, further employer mandates have been touted 
by the Clinton administration as one of the keys to ensuring health 
care security for all Americans. However, I am concerned that these 
same mandates will result in major job losses for my State of Alabama 
and the Nation as a whole. Even the administration admits a potential 
job loss of 600,000 while other organizations suggest totals of over 2 
million. A recent study by the American Federation of State, County, 
and Municipal Employees estimated that in 1998, the 15,700 jobs lost in 
Alabama as a consequence of the Clinton plan would result in $1.25 
billion dollars in lost wages and benefits in our State. President 
Clinton says that subsidies in his plan will make this mandate more 
affordable for small business owners. However, the Congressional Budget 
Office [CBO] reported earlier this year that the administration 
underfunds this subsidy by $72 billion.
  These additional employer mandates will kill jobs, and will endanger 
the sector of our economy that is most responsible for innovation and 
job creation. I fully support universal access to affordable coverage 
for all working Americans but additional burdens on the small business 
community is not the answer.
  In a recent Clinton town meeting on health care, the chief executive 
of a major pizza restaurant franchise asked the President how his 
company could afford the new mandates without laying off workers. The 
President joked that he would be willing to pay more for his pizza--
suggesting that the executive merely pass his costs on to his customer.
  Mr. Speaker, there is nothing funny about jobs lost when small 
businesses can't afford to keep their doors open as a result of these 
mandates. Let's fix what's broken with our health care system without 
asking our small business owners and their employees to bear the brunt 
of the high price tag. Under the current system, there are too many 
people without health coverage and we must work to address this. 
However, under the Clinton plan, employees may be without jobs and 
health care.

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