[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 85 (Wednesday, June 29, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: June 29, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
            AMERICA MUST HAVE UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE COVERAGE

  (Mr. ROMERO-BARCELO asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ROMERO-BARCELO. Mr. Speaker, for nearly a century, Americans have 
discussed and debated how best to reform our national health care 
system. In the next couple of months, we have the opportunity to 
accomplish something that our Nation has never done before: provide 
health security to every American.
  The debate over health care reform that will unfold in this Chamber 
over the next months will touch all of our lives and the lives of our 
parents, our children, and generations to come.
  But no one will be more affected by the outcome of this debate than 
the millions of working and uninsured families in this country. If we 
fail to enact universal health care reform this year, more than 22 
million Americans who work for a living will continue to be denied 
health care protection. That figure represents 85 percent of the 
uninsured people in this Nation.
  As a recent Wall Street Journal article correctly stated: ``The 
social and economic consequences of once again retreating from far-
reaching reform are clear: more uninsured Americans and higher costs 
for Government.''
  Mr. Speaker, the cost of inaction is too high. America cannot wait 
any longer.

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