[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 106 (Thursday, August 4, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 4, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                           HEALTH REFORM NOW

  (Mr. LEWIS of Georgia asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, we must have health care reform 
this year. And, we must have health care for every American.
  Health care reform is a big job. There are no easy solutions, no 
quick fix, no magic.
  But we must do it. We can only do it with an employer mandate, what 
we call ``shared responsibility.''
  An employer mandate is not radical. Mandates are as old as the 
Constitution itself. Mandates have made life better for every American.
  We as a society have certain mandates. Minimum wage. Workplace safety 
rules. Speed limits. Meat inspections.
  Mandates give us safe and fair working conditions, good driving 
habits, and food quality standards.
  We are simply asking everyone to share responsibility. We are all in 
this together. Without reform, health care costs will continue to 
increase. And, more and more people will not be able to afford it.
  Most businesses already provide health insurance for their employees. 
We are only asking that everyone else do the same.
  We must control costs. We can only do that with universal coverage. 
So we must support mandates. We have no choice. The long-term health of 
our Nation is at stake.
  If we do not do our part, history will not be kind to us.

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