[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 96 (Tuesday, June 13, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8203-S8204]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   THE NOMINATION OF DR. HENRY FOSTER

  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, as my mother always told me when I was 
growing up--as a matter of fact, until I was very grown up--if you have 
your health you have everything. She said you can face anything, 
whatever the problem, if you have your health. You can handle it, and 
you can give it your best. I do not think that anyone disagrees with 
that, and I think it applies to our country as well. Clearly, if we, as 
Americans, live longer with a better quality of life, if we have 
children who are born healthy, who are born wanted, who are born loved, 
if our work force is healthy, we are more productive and our people can 
truly enjoy the blessings of liberty.
  I do not think there would be much argument with that, even in this 
Senate where we argue about everything. I really do believe people 
would agree with that. If America is healthier, America is stronger, 
more productive.
  So let us for the sake of debate agree on that point and move on. And 
I would think if we were to agree on that point, we would agree that it 
is time to vote on the Surgeon General, that it would be a good idea to 
confirm the one person who really is charged with guarding the Nation's 
health. That person is Dr. Henry Foster, President Clinton's nominee 
for Surgeon General. Dr. Henry Foster was nominated by President 
Clinton on February 2. He sent the nomination formally to the Senate on 
February 28. On May 2 and May 3, the hearings on Dr. Foster's 
nomination were held in the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee, 
and on May 26 the committee favorably reported out the nomination by a 
vote of 9 to 7. Now it is June 13. This man was sent forward in 
February. It is June 13. We do not have a Surgeon General. We do not 
have a No. 1 doctor looking out for the health of this the greatest 
Nation of all. It is time to bring the nomination forward.
  I do wish the majority leader were on the floor now because I had 
planned to ask him what his plans are for bringing the nomination 
forward. There have been some confusing signals. Sometimes I think it 
is going to come forward, and sometimes I am not so sure.
  Dr. Henry Foster deserves a vote. It is the American way. We believe 
in fairness in our Nation. The bar was set very high for Dr. Foster. 
Why? Because he is an OB-GYN, an obstetrician/ gynecologist and, 
therefore, yes, he has treated his patients as a good doctor would in 
this country, respecting their right to choose, guaranteeing their 
health, bringing thousands of babies into the world. And, yes, a very 
small percent of his practice involved a woman's right to choose.
  Are we going to punish him because he is an OB-GYN? Are we going to 
be afraid of a few in this country who have tried to destroy Dr. 
Foster? This is the time to stand up and be counted. Whether you are 
for a woman's right to choose or not, you do not punish a fine man like 
this who has brought thousands of babies into the world, who has helped 
countless people, many too poor to afford to pay.
  Now, the majority leader sent out a proposed schedule from May to 
August. I have it here. I ask unanimous consent that it be printed in 
the Record.
  There being no objection, the list was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                    Proposed Schedule, May-August 4


                                  may

       Budget resolution.
       Supplemental--Rescission conference report.
       Anti-terrorism bill.


                                  june

       Telecommunications.
       Welfare reform.
       Regulatory reform.
       Defense authorization.
       Foreign operations authorization.
       State reorganization/reauthorization.
       Gift ban.
       Appropriations--as available.
       [Term Limits?].


                                  july

       Reconciliation.
       Farm bill.
       Crime bill.
       Securities litigation reform.
       Highway bill/Davis-Bacon repeal.
       Appropriations--as available.

  Mrs. BOXER. We have many things that we have to do, and they are all 
very important. But, my goodness, May, June, July, and nothing here 
about a vote on Dr. Foster. Are things so wonderful in our Nation in 
terms of our health that we can afford to go without a Surgeon General? 
I think my friend from Washington, immediately following my remarks, is 
going to show the problems that we face in this Nation in terms of our 
health.
  Have we solved the problem of teen pregnancy--the epidemic, I should 
say, of teen pregnancy? Clearly not. Have we solved the problem of the 
resurgence of tuberculosis? Clearly not. Have we solved the problem of 
the AIDS epidemic? Alzheimer's? Lung cancer? Breast cancer? 
Parkinson's? Ovarian cancer? Heart disease? I am just naming a few.
  Clearly, we have not solved those problems. In many of those areas, 
they are getting worse. And we deserve a Surgeon General to look after 
those problems day after day and hour after hour.
  We face thousands of issues, you and I, Mr. President, from parks and 
open space to flood control to crime to foreign policy. The Surgeon 
General will look after the health of America 24 hours a day. We have a 
man who is up to the job and has shown his courage and his leadership. 
Standing up to the harshest and most unfair attacks, he came out of the 
committee on a 9-to-7 vote.
  Why are we not taking up this nomination? I will tell you why. It is 
politics. It is Presidential politics. And that is wrong. We have lots 
of time for that. We have terrific candidates, and [[Page S8204]] we 
have a great President, and it is going to be a great campaign, but we 
should not bring it to this floor and hold up the nomination of the 
Surgeon General because everyone is going after some block of voters to 
prove that they can be more antichoice than the next candidate. That is 
wrong. A woman has a right to choose in this country.
  The fact is we have a Surgeon General nominee who has the greatest 
record in stopping teen pregnancy.
  Mr. President, there are those who say: What does the Surgeon General 
do anyway? I am going to go through a little of this, and if my time 
runs out, I will be back tomorrow. I am going to be back every day, 
every day, asking where is this nomination. It is not the American way 
to keep a kind and decent man waiting like this since February. We have 
had Surgeon Generals who have done some incredibly important things in 
terms of the fight against smoking, syphilis, AIDS--it goes on. I will 
save that for another time.
  So in my remaining moments here, Mr. President, I will summarize in 
this way. There is no reason not to schedule this vote. This man passed 
out of the committee on a 9-to-7 vote. He is fully qualified. He has 
met every test. And, yes, he is an OB-GYN. And I say to my friends, it 
is about time we had someone with that kind of experience of bringing 
babies into the world and taking care of women's health in the position 
of Surgeon General.
  I yield the floor.
  Mrs. MURRAY addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Washington, Mrs. Murray, is 
recognized for 7 minutes.
  Mrs. MURRAY. I thank the Chair.

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