[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 80 (Wednesday, June 22, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 22, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
 DEMOCRATS URGED TO ACCEPT A COMMONSENSE BIPARTISAN APPROACH TO HEALTH 
                              CARE REFORM

  (Mr. HASTERT asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. HASTERT. Mr. Speaker, one of the biggest differences between 
those who believe in a commonsense approach and President Clinton in 
the health care debate comes with the employer mandate.
  President Clinton believes that forcing small businesses to pay 80 
percent of an employee's health care insurance will help him reach a 
goal of universal coverage.
  We have a different view. As the son of a small restaurant owner, I 
have seen firsthand how small businesses must struggle under the 
crushing burden of unfunded Federal mandates. The employer mandate will 
have a devastating impact on those same small businesses. It will mean 
an 8 percent payroll tax on most workers. And it will kill at least a 
million jobs.
  Mr. Speaker, sacrificing jobs for a government-run health care system 
is not worth the price.
  We need to fix the problems in our health care system without 
resorting to government-run health care schemes and job-killing 
employer mandates.
  I urge my Democratic colleagues to turn away from the employer 
mandate and turn to a commonsense bipartisan approach to health care 
reform.

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