[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 71 (Thursday, June 9, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 9, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                       HEALTH CARE REFORM PROJECT

  Mr. DASCHLE. Madam President, I am pleased to announce that today the 
Health Care Reform Project released a letter, signed by over 1,300 
groups and organizations from States throughout the country, urging 
Congress to support employer-based health care reform. These groups 
represent combined memberships of over 93 million people--155 times the 
membership of the National Federation of Business [NFIB]. They want 
comprehensive health care reform and believe that guaranteeing coverage 
through the workplace makes the most sense.
  Too often, we hear only from the opponents of reform. We hear of 
their political strength, their mass organization, and their membership 
numbers. Their rallying cry is that an employer mandate is politically 
unfeasible. This letter shows that they are dead wrong.
  These groups and businesses have stepped to the plate. They are 
letting their political strength, their voices, and their votes be 
heard. Their message is clear. They want health care for every American 
and they are willing to make the important choices needed to get there.
  Building on the system of shared responsibility between an employer 
and employee is an organized and sensible way to provide coverage to 
uninsured Americans. More than 85 percent of uninsured Americans are in 
working families. Eight out of ten privately insured Americans get 
their health care coverage where they work. A majority of businesses 
already offer health care coverage to their workers and will save under 
reform. And, a vast majority of Americans support guaranteeing health 
coverage through the workplace.
  The fact is there are only a few ways to accomplish the goal of 
guaranteeing every American health insurance. Our basic choices are a 
Government-run system financed by a broad-based tax; a family or 
individual mandate where each family is legally and financially liable 
for the entire cost of their insurance; or a system where employer and 
employee share responsibility for the cost of coverage.
  Some people say that there is another choice. They say that the 
system is not broken so we need not fix it. But for most Americans, the 
status quo is the worst mandate we could possibly impose. Under the 
status quo mandate, businesses who provide coverage for their employees 
would continue to be required to pay the freight for those who do not. 
Businesses and workers who pay for health care coverage would continue 
to absorb billions of dollars in uncompensated care. and people who get 
up and go to work each day would continue to fear losing their health 
care coverage.
  The groups signing this letter and the millions of Americans they 
represent are telling us that the status quo is unacceptable.
  From the National Farmers Union to the National Council of Senior 
Citizens; from the Children's Defense Fund to the St. James Youth 
Center in Louisiana; from Albany Bowling Supplies in Georgia to the 
Southern California Edison Co., these groups represent a broad spectrum 
of Americans.
  These are real people and real businesses and they have important 
stories.
  Kurt Thompson, a constituent of mine from Britton, SD, and a member 
of the South Dakota Farmers Union, is a family farmer, raising wheat, 
corn, soy beans, hogs, and cows. He pays $300 a month for only 
catastrophic coverage. His deductible is $2,500 a year and he has asked 
his insurance company to cut his benefits to reduce his costs. As a 
self-employed farmer, he is only eligible to deduct 25 percent of his 
health care costs unlike most businesses who are allowed 100 percent. 
Mr. Thompson estimates that he has to sell at least three hogs a month 
just to pay his insurance premium. He desperately wants health care 
reform to help him afford health care for his family and thinks 
building on today's employer-based system makes the most sense.
  Albany Bowling Supplies is a small family business in Georgia which 
employs nine people. The owner, Bud Simpson, has provided all of his 
workers with health care coverage for years. For all these years, he 
has had to pay the costs for his competitors who do not provide. Albany 
Bowling Supplies believes that asking all businesses to contribute to 
their workers health care coverage, is the most fair way to get to 
universal coverage.
  Jerry Wilse, president of the Greater Arizona United Auto Workers 
Retiree Council as well as the Arizona State Council of Senior 
Citizens, told me that until we have comprehensive reform, none of his 
members can feel secure. He believes that an employer-based system is 
the most sensible way to get there.
  Madam President, these groups and businesses are diverse and have a 
wide range of interests. Yet they have come together to support a 
sensible approach to health care reform. They want action from Congress 
and they have made their choice known. We should listen.

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