[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 112 (Friday, August 12, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 12, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                          THE HEALTH CARE BILL

  Mr. LOTT. Madam President, since we have had questions about the 
time, that is one of the reasons I rise this afternoon, to protest the 
fact that we are now back in morning business. It is 4:30 on Friday 
afternoon. We have not had, that I know of, any time allocated today at 
all for debate or discussion on health care. Yet we are hearing in the 
news media there are going to be amendments on the health care bill 
today or tomorrow.
  I know there are many Senators who have yet to have an opportunity to 
utter the first word on the so-called Clinton-Mitchell health package, 
so I do not understand why we are not continuing debate on that very 
important issue. The American people think we are involved in a heated 
debate now on health care reform, yet I do not think anything has been 
said on the floor of the U.S. Senate this whole day on health care. We 
have been on other issues. Not that they are unimportant, but certainly 
health care is supposed to be the issue of the day.
  I also thought we had some sort of time agreement that would take 90 
minutes, I think it was, on the issue that is just being debated. I had 
been waiting for that to be completed so we could go to the health care 
debate--so we could have a vote and then go to the health care debate. 
Now we are told there will be no vote--we may have a vote at 6:20 on 
Friday night and we may then, or may not, go back to health care at 
6:30 or 7 or 7:30 tonight.
  I do not know, it does not seem to me this is a good way to run a 
train. If we are serious about finding out what is in the Clinton-
Mitchell package, it seems to me we ought to be looking into it, 
discussing it, asking questions about it, having an opportunity to 
engage each other in debate, and at some point even have amendments. 
But we are not doing that.
  I do not know what happened. I guess we are trying to accommodate 
some Senators who are somewhere in this town, maybe at the White House, 
or maybe in Minnesota. I do not know where they are. But I know this. 
It looks to me like once again, for the sake of a few or one--I do not 
know--that the other 99 are being asked to stand around and wait until 
6:20 on Friday night. So I object to the way this is being done. I am 
prepared to stay tonight, but I would like at least to know what the 
schedule is going to be, and I object to the fact we are not even 
taking up the important issues of the day: Health care.
  I am ready to go when my opportunity comes. I have been waiting for 3 
days to have an opportunity to get engaged in a debate. I believe only 
eight Republican Senators have been able to speak on health care.
  Madam President, I am running out of appropriate ties and shirts to 
be able to make my presentation on health care. Let us get on with it, 
or let us do the wise thing--like the House of Representatives--go home 
and think about this issue, learn what is really involved. Maybe we 
would finally get a bill we might have to vote on.
  I understand now we are looking at the third version of the Clinton-
Mitchell bill. Every time I think I have a grip on it, it changes on 
me. So I just hope the American people are looking at this, and 
watching it. And they have to be wondering what in the world is going 
on.

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