[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 58 (Thursday, May 12, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: May 12, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]


                              {time}  1020
 
   TRIBUTE TO SUPPORTERS OF AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE FOR ALL AMERICANS

  (Mr. WISE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WISE. Mr. Speaker, I have stood in this well before and 
challenged those who would stand in the way of a comprehensive national 
health care plan that provides guaranteed private insurance for 
everybody that cannot be taken away.
  But as I have challenged some, I want to recognize some also, for 
instance, the physicians from many different organizations that are in 
Washington today to express their support for a comprehensive health 
care plan, the Clinton health care plan, that provides guaranteed 
private insurance. They know what is good for their profession and 
their patients.
  The second group I would like to recognize, particularly when we hear 
all of these claims by some business groups about how this harms them, 
is Safeway. Safeway Stores, a retailing grocery chain, has put on some 
of its bags distributed in some of its stores the message, ``Safeway 
supports affordable health care for all Americans.'' Do they have some 
incredible percentage of profit that means they can do this when others 
cannot? Well, the average profit margin for most retailers is 2\1/2\ 
percent. The average profit margin for food retailers is 1 percent. Yet 
Safeway has found, as have other food store chains doing similar 
announcements, Safeway has found what is good for their employees is 
also good for their consumers.
  I want to applaud both of those doctors and those businesses that are 
stepping forward at this critical time.

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