[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]


                              {time}  1030
 
             HEALTH CARE BILL: LET US POSTPONE THE MADNESS

  (Mr. STEARNS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to listen carefully: 
Here we are about a week or a week and a half before we are supposed to 
adjourn and the Mitchell bill, as has just been presented, has 17 new 
taxes. It has not been completely scored, no one knows what is in the 
bill.
  Now let us come to the House side: The Gephardt bill has not been 
completely written; the Democrats only got a 3-page outline, and most 
of them have not seen the bill.
  Should we vote on a bill that no one has seen either in the Senate or 
the House? No.
  I am asking my colleagues both in the Senate and the House to 
postpone this madness, let us stop. The American people have the right 
and deserve to see this bill before we vote on it. We should have open 
debate The press should demand this.
  I ask my colleagues that we not vote on this bill next week until the 
bill has been written, has been scored, and the American people have 
had a chance to know what effect this health care bill will have on all 
of us.

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