[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 107 (Friday, August 5, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 5, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                THE SCHEDULE FOR HEALTH CARE LEGISLATION

  Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I had sought recognition earlier today 
when the majority leader was speaking. I do not have any scales or any 
theatrics, but I would like to talk for a moment or two about the facts 
and the schedule on what has happened on health care.
  When the majority leader said that 18 Senators had abandoned the 
Republican-proposed legislation, I think he was referring to 
legislation initiated by Senator Chafee. I was one of the cosponsors of 
that bill and I have not abandoned that bill. I said at the time that I 
had joined Senator Chafee, and I had expected the majority leader to 
return--when I asked for his presence to hear my comments he said he 
had to review the list so we could move ahead on completion on the 
appropriations bill for Labor, Health and Human Services, and 
Education; when the list was presented it was presented by Senator 
Harkin instead--but I do want to make these few comments.
  I have not abandoned Senator Chafee's bill. There is yet to be seen 
the floor debate which will produce Senate action on health reform 
legislation. In cosponsoring Senator Chafee's bill, I said I did not 
agree with all parts of it. We had to move ahead with legislation which 
would come from an amalgam of many bills. I personally am not pleased 
to see the schedule which has evolved, where we are delaying the 
recess--not that I have any objection to delaying the recess, but I do 
have a concern about putting the Senate under pressure during August to 
take up a massive new bill which no one has had a chance to see, in 
what may produce a rush to judgment.
  I offered a health care amendment back on July 29, 1992, and have 
sought to bring health care to the floor. At that time the majority 
leader came to the floor and said my amendment did not belong on the 
bill which was then pending. Only the Senate majority leader can 
establish the schedule, but any Senator has the right to offer an 
amendment on a pending bill, which I did at that time, in an effort to 
bring health care legislation to the floor. When the majority leader 
said my amendment did not belong on that bill I agreed and said I would 
take it off voluntarily if we could have a date certain when health 
care would come to the Senate floor.
  That was on July 29, in the 102d Congress. At that time there were 
some 1,500 health bills pending. When the majority leader said he could 
not offer a date certain I reminded him that he had given a date 
certain to product liability, which was the day after Labor Day, I 
believe, September 8, 1992. But the majority leader would not establish 
a date certain for health care legislation and my amendment was 
defeated pretty much on a party line vote.
  I then persisted in the 103d Congress, and offered a comprehensive 
health care bill, Senate bill 18. So when the majority leader says 
there is no Republican bill, the scale is empty--that responsive 
theatrical play--I had sought to remind him personally about my 
legislation. When President Clinton said he would move ahead with 
health legislation, I believe initially within 100 days, I took the 
floor when the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, Congressman 
Rostenkowski, said we might not get to health care legislation that 
year, 1993, which proved to be true. Then the majority leader, 
Congressman Gephardt, said we might not get to health care legislation 
that year, and that did prove to be true.
  Each time there were delays it seemed to me that the issue of health 
care ought to be brought to the floor. I did that in late April 1993, 
because we have been ready to move on this matter for a very long time, 
really in a better way than we are today with the massive Mitchell bill 
being thrust upon us without any opportunity to study that matter.
  Now, we are finally going to move ahead with health care legislation 
in August, of 1994, in what is really a crunch time and what is really 
a political time to try to show the American people, by the President 
and by the Democrats, that they are able to deliver on health care 
legislation in advance of the 1994 congressional elections.
  I think, Mr. President, the earlier we take up health care 
legislation the better. A preferable time to have taken it up was 1992 
or 1993. Had my amendments, which were offered in July of 1992 been 
accepted--full tax deduction for the self-employed and insurance market 
reform--we might now be looking at a pool of uninsured, uncovered much 
less than the 37 million to 40 million people who are now uncovered.
  I think it is necessary to move, as I have said before, on trial and 
correction, to take steps like full deductibility for the self-employed 
and insurance market reform and see how it is going to work out.
  My approach is that the current system has produced the best health 
care delivery system in the world for 86.1 percent of the American 
people. The Clinton plan is a massive bureaucracy which just goes too 
far.
  When I read the Clinton plan and saw all of the agencies, boards, and 
commissions, I asked my staff assistant, Sharon Helfant, to make a 
list. Instead, she made a chart. The chart was made famous by my 
colleague, Senator Dole, when he replied to the State of the Union 
speech and used the chart. It has been widely noted that that was the 
turning point against the Clinton health care proposal. Senator Dole 
says it was his speech that did it. I say that it was my chart that did 
it in collaboration with his speech. Great speech; it was a great 
speech.
  If Senator Dole had been on the Russell, KS, high school debating 
team, it might have been a greater speech. Russell won the championship 
in 1941, even without Senator Dole on the debating team.
  But back to the point at hand. The Clinton health care bill has 
fallen, and I am hopeful we can move ahead to health care legislation. 
But I think it important to note for the Record that the Republicans 
had taken a leadership position back in 1992 and 1993 and 1994, and we 
are prepared to work for the good of the American people.
  We will not be rushed to judgment. It is important that we do the job 
right and have ample time to carefully consider health care delivery, 
which is 14 percent of the gross national product, an industry of 
almost $1 billion in our economy.
  The Republicans are prepared to cooperate. We just wish that the 
majority leader and those who control the Senate calendar had moved 
this matter ahead back in 1992 or 1993, but we will take it as it 
comes, and we will proceed now in August, 1994.
  I thank the Chair and yield the floor.
  Mr. DOLE addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Republican leader is recognized.

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