[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 101 (Thursday, July 28, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
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]


                              {time}  1120
 
                           HEALTH CARE REFORM

  (Mr. UNDERWOOD asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I join my freshman colleagues this 
morning to call for a concerted effort to enact a health care bill in 
this session. While there is disagreement on aspects of health care 
reform, it is important not to lose sight of our goals--one primary 
goal is universal coverage, which we can deliver, not universal 
agreement, which we will never achieve.
  Universal coverage means that all Americans will have some form of 
health insurance. I am pleased to note that in every health reform 
bill, the Americans who live in the territories, such as my home island 
of Guam, are fully included, and share in the benefits as well as the 
responsibilities of the health reforms.
  Most Americans agree that the status quo is not good enough. I join 
my colleagues in urging Congress to find common agreement on a bill 
that delivers health reform.
  A study by the Catholic Health Association finds that without 
universal coverage, middle-class Americans will pay more for health 
insurance premiums because some reforms will add higher risk groups to 
insurance pools without significantly expanding those pools, thus 
driving up costs. The Catholic Health Association conclusion is that 
universal coverage makes good economic sense for middle class America, 
and it is the right thing to do.

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