[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 26 (Thursday, February 9, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E307]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


               REPUBLICANS LEAVE WORKING AMERICANS BEHIND

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                        HON. FORTNEY PETE STARK

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, February 9, 1995
  Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, in the Ways and Means Committee, 
the contrast between the Democratic and Republican parties was made 
clear.
  The purpose of yesterday's committee activity was to help expand the 
net of health insurance coverage to a few more Americans. What began as 
a bipartisan effort was turned into a purely partisan affair by the new 
Republican majority.
  In vote after vote, the new Republican majority struck down on 
straight party-line votes measures that would bring fairness and 
assistance to working Americans. Some measures had no cost to the 
Government. Others that did were fully paid for.
  One amendment I proposed would have removed the time limitations on 
COBRA health continuation coverage. This would have had no cost to the 
Government nor to employers, because under COBRA former employees and 
their family members pay full health insurance premium plus an 
administrative fee. Our amendment would allow individuals and families 
to continue coverage at a group policy rate rather than convert to an 
individual policy rate--the difference is often the difference between 
having and losing coverage. This was voted down by the Republican 
majority.
  In the clearest example of how Republican partisanship operated 
without regard to the good of American workers and taxpayers, 
Republicans unanimously voted down an amendment offered by my colleague 
from Washington, Mr. McDermott, to extend deductibility of health 
insurance costs to employees when an employee is not eligible to 
participate in employer-sponsored health insurance coverage. Under the 
bill to be amended, self-employed individuals would be allowed to 
deduct 25 percent of the cost of health insurance. The cost of this 
assistance to working Americans was fully paid for--in large part by a 
change in tax law for individuals who renounce their U.S. citizenship 
in order to evade paying U.S. taxes.
  How anyone can justify creating a new permanent entitlement for the 
benefit of employers and leave out employees is amazing. But it appears 
to be the new order of the Republican day.
  I hope that before deliberations begin in the full House of 
Representatives on this bill, Republicans will have rethought their 
partisanship just long enough to allow the interests of all American 
workers to prevail.


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