[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 63 (Thursday, May 19, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


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

 
            AN EMPLOYER MANDATE FAVORS MACHINES OVER PEOPLE

  (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. The real world, Mr. Speaker, is tough. 
When the cost of hiring goes up, as it will when even the smallest 
employer has to provide a health plan richer than Xerox's plan, it will 
simply not be worth hiring a part-time employee or even a full-time 
employee to do many of the jobs currently done.
  We all know the employer mandate will cost jobs, but listen to this 
from the real world: Service industries are currently reviewing new 
technologies that would allow them to automate their operations. By 
buying technology now available, a fast-food restaurant could cut its 
staff from seven people to two people. Sitting in my office, they lay 
out spreadsheets that show the only way they can prevent increasing 
their prices to consumers is to substitute machines for people. These 
folks are not sharing with me estimates of job losses. They are sharing 
real world facts about options they will face if we arbitrarily 
increase their costs with an employer mandate.
  We have already seen automation at the expense of jobs of real people 
in the manufacturing sector. As costs went up, machines took the jobs 
of real folks. My State of Connecticut is still struggling with the 
ramifications of such decisions.
  Further, a retailer recently sat down in my office and showed me how 
he would have to increase the productivity of his full-time workers. He 
would have to have them at work when the customers were in the store. 
He would have to have them work split shifts, 2 hours here, 4 hours 
there, 2 hours later in the day. Is forcing people into split-shift 
work patterns wise and good? Is providing policy incentives to 
substitute technology for real people earning real wages wise and good? 
I think not.
  We can reform our health care system to control costs and restore 
access for all. We can address the problems in our health care system 
without costing jobs. It's time to move forward with true bipartisan 
reform--now.

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