[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 100 (Wednesday, July 27, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: July 27, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                  GUARANTEED HEALTH INSURANCE FOR ALL

  (Mr. SKAGGS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SKAGGS. Mr. Speaker, as we get close to the floor debate on 
health care reform, the threshold question remains, are we going to 
provide guaranteed health insurance for everybody in this country? It 
is clear that that is what the American people want and expect us to be 
able to do. But the question remains, would just insurance reform 
accomplish most of what we need to do? It sounds good. The problem is 
with the law of unintended consequences, which would kick in if we were 
to limit ourselves to insurance reform alone. People who need insurance 
would get in, but those without immediate problems would wait. As a 
result, costs would go up, premiums would go up. The middle class would 
get squeezed out. So, we have to see insurance for all as absolutely 
critical to our other goals: Affordability, cost containment, workable 
insurance reform.
  This is the key element to real reform. It is the key element missing 
from the alternatives offered by the other side. We have got to act on 
health care reform and we have got to have guaranteed insurance for all 
Americans.

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