[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 101 (Thursday, July 28, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: July 28, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                E X T E N S I O N   O F   R E M A R K S


               HEALTH CARE AND THE TRIAL ON SEPTEMBER 12

                                 ______


                          HON. JAMES V. HANSEN

                                of utah

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 28, 1994

  Mr. HANSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my concern over the 
administration and Democratic leadership's attempt to force a health 
care bill through Congress before the outcome of a very important trial 
on September 12. The trial I am referring to, involves First Lady 
Hillary Rodham Clinton, Ira Magaziner and other top health care aides, 
who flagrantly used Federal dollars to conduct secret meetings of the 
Clinton health care task force and then refused to supply factual 
information to the court as to who attended, what was discussed and how 
much it cost the taxpayers.
  On Tuesday, after reviewing thousands of documents and hearing oral 
arguments, U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth ordered the 
administration to face civil charges in his court. I think it is 
irresponsible of this body to move on legislation before the outcome of 
the trial is known.
  In Federal court, on July 26, the White House abandoned their 18-
month effort to hide its members of the health care task force and 
virtually admitted that it was made up of representatives of proreform 
interest groups. White House lawyers said in court that the task force 
was an anonymous horde that had no influence on Clinton's health care 
plan. If these working groups were anonymous and loosely invited to 
attend, then why the secrecy? And if they didn't influence the basic 
provisions of the Health Security Act, then, the big question is: Who 
did?
  President Clinton's plan is the foundation of the bills being 
considered by the House today. When the list of about a thousand 
participants in the White House working groups was finally made 
available, the managed care industry and nonprofit organizations were 
strongly represented in high profile roles. Today, the influence of 
these people is still very apparent. Let me give you a few examples:
  Mark Smith is executive vice president of the Henry J. Kaiser Family 
Foundation and chaired a subpanel for the Clintons on HIV and AIDS. 
What's interesting is the Foundation has spent at least $10 million 
campaigning for drastic reform and continues to fund various health 
care polls in favor of managed care. Kaiser is one of the largest 
health maintenance organizations in the country and, coincidentally, 
Mr. Smith is now being considered by the administration as the next 
AIDS czar.
  The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation was represented on numerous 
subpanels within the health care task force working group. This 
Foundation has funded a number of health care town meetings led by Mrs. 
Clinton and also paid NBC $2 million to air a recent 2-hour special 
about health reform. The special was noticeably orchestrated and 
strongly favored massive health reform like the President's plan.
  Aetna's Richard Connell, Benjamin Curtis, Ken O'Donnell and Jim 
Pickering were all included in the deliberations, as were 
representatives from Telesis, which was formerly owned by Ira 
Magaziner. The list goes on.
  Just like Whitewater, the White House has conveniently censored, back 
dated or tampered with many documents which would enlighten the public 
as to who the members of the so-called working group were, what was 
actually discussed and how it was paid for. In fact, pages 15 through 
26 of a memo explaining the organization of the White House task force 
were left out of documents the White House supplied to the court.
  Eventually, the pages were handed over, however, thousands of others 
have yet to be seen. Judge Lamberth has instructed the White House to 
supply the documents by August 3 in preparation for the trial--doesn't 
this sound familiar?
  This administration has continually obstructed justice by side-
stepping the law and releasing information when they believe it is in 
the best interest of their case, or promotes their own agenda. What 
about the people's agenda?
  Judge Lamberth asked a very perceptive question at the end of the 
oral arguments this week. The Washington Times quotes him as saying,

       In light of where we are in health care reform, what's the 
     great secrecy of all these recommendations? Why are we going 
     through all of this?

  I concur with the Judge and would like to ask the same question. Why 
is this such a big secret? What is the administration trying to hide?
  Kent Masterson Brown, the plaintiffs attorney, answered that 
nonprofit organizations, managed care industry and others who stand to 
advance their social agendas, gain power, or profit from health reform, 
had secretly helped craft the President Clinton's health plan which is 
still alive under other names on the Hill.
  If Federal law was violated, the public deserves to know. The result 
of a trial involving Mrs. Clinton and White house staff is important to 
Americans and the security of their future.
  This Congress is on the verge of taking drastic measures in health 
care reform which are based on a plan presented by this administration. 
The public needs to know exactly who cooked up this plan and how it 
will affect a vital component of each of our personal and financial 
lives.
  The foundation of current health care proposals is this bill, the 
Health Security Act. This proposes drastic changes to the way we 
deliver and pay for health care in this country and places mandates on 
every single person within U.S. borders.
  This is serious stuff and before we move forward on major health care 
reform, we should stop and learn about its roots. I firmly believe the 
fruits of this administration's efforts to dramatically reform health 
care should not be borne without understanding its origin. The trial 
will expose the bill's true heritage.
  I call upon my colleagues in the House and the Senate to halt 
deliberations on this issue. No votes should be taken until all of the 
information surrounding the case against Mrs. Clinton has come forward 
under oath in Federal court. We have a responsibility to the public and 
I urge my colleagues to use good judgement and exercise integrity by 
representing the folks who sent you back here, they deserve to know the 
truth.

                          ____________________