[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 29 (Wednesday, March 6, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H1721]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1115
                  PASS THE BIPARTISAN HEALTH CARE BILL

  (Ms. DeLAURO asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, my Republican colleagues are trying to come 
to terms with the failure of their agenda. They are instead trying to 
repackage their image. They would have us believe that they are on the 
side of working Americans. But let me tell my colleagues that their 
agenda in fact would hurt working Americans.
  Just take a look at the issue of health care. There is today in this 
body a bipartisan bill to improve the health security for average 
working Americans. The bill would prevent the insurance companies from 
denying health coverage because of preexisting medical conditions. It 
would increase health care availability for all. And this bill has the 
support of Republicans and Democrats in the House and Senate, but they 
will not bring it up for a vote. There has been no action and no 
activity on this bill, and they are trying to load it down with 
controversial proposals in order to try to defeat it.
  I will quote from the Wall Street Journal this morning that says, 
``But passing the provisions that the House suggests, passing the 
provisions in the House, may set up a confrontation with the Senate'' 
and the bill would not pass.
  Mr. Speaker, if we are serious about helping working Americans, let 
us talk about health care security, bring up the bill.

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