[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 95 (Wednesday, July 20, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: July 20, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                           UNIVERSAL COVERAGE

  Mr. SIMON. Madam President, I want to comment briefly on the 
unfortunate statement made yesterday by the President to the Governors. 
There was an apparent--and I say ``apparent'' because it is not real 
clear--an apparent backing off of universal coverage, hinting that 95 
percent coverage might be acceptable. That is not acceptable to this 
Senator and I do not think it is acceptable to the American public.
  If the majority leader, who is fashioning a compromise bill right 
now, comes up with a bill that covers 95 percent of the people--that 
means 1 out of 20 Americans left out--I am going to have an amendment 
that, by lottery, will leave out 1 out of 20 Senators and 1 out of 20 
White House personnel.
  The President ought to be in there, standing up for universal 
coverage as he did when he spoke to the joint session, I think it was 
the State of the Union Message. He ought to be standing up fighting for 
universal coverage, making it clear that he is going to expend every 
effort. In my opinion he ought to issue a statement today clarifying 
that he stands for universal coverage, he is going to fight for 
universal coverage, and he is not going to leave 1 out of 20 Americans 
out of health coverage in this Nation.
  Anything less is just totally unsatisfactory, as far as I am 
concerned. I know many of my colleagues join in that sentiment. We all 
have a weakness in politics--excluding the Presiding Officer, of 
course--of saying what an audience might want to hear. Paul Simon has 
that weakness, Bill Clinton has that weakness, Paul Wellstone has that 
weakness. And I think the President ought to make clear that he 
inadvertently said to this audience something that has been taken out 
of context and he does not mean, and that he is going to continue to 
fight for universal coverage for all Americans. Anything less is a 
compromise he should not make, this Senate should not accept, and the 
American people should not accept.
  Madam President, I yield the remainder of my time to the Senator from 
Minnesota.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. There are 2 minutes and 5 seconds 
remaining. The Senator from Minnesota is recognized.

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