[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 109 (Tuesday, August 9, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 9, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                   HEALTH CARE PLANS MUST BE STUDIED

  (Mr. HOEKSTRA asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, the process that we are going through over 
health care reform, I believe, is confirming the worst fears the 
American people have about Congress. People realize that this Congress 
is ready to pass a bill that none of us have read and that we will not 
fully understand.
  Two weeks ago the leadership set an ambitious timetable for 
completing the debate on health care, and this was after they declared 
all previously discussed health care bills null and void.
  At that time the leadership said new bills would have to be crafted 
and submitted no later than 6 p.m., August 3, giving us a full 15 days 
to read 5,000 to 6,000 pages of legislation in perhaps getting ready 
for the most important debate to be discussed by this Congress in a 
generation. That deadline came and went, and we saw no bills. Then the 
leadership set a new deadline of 6 p.m. yesterday, condensing the 
amount of time of debate to 11 days. That deadline came and went, and 
we saw no bills. Yesterday a new deadline was set for 6 p.m. tomorrow, 
August 10, leaving us only 9 days for debate. Now we will see if that 
deadline is met.
  Now is the time and place for real congressional reform. Let us put 
in place a responsible process that this Congress can be proud of.

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