[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 45 (Thursday, March 28, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H2969-H2970]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     SUPPORT H.R. 3103, THE HEALTH CARE COVERAGE AVAILABILITY AND 
                           AFFORDABILITY ACT

  (Mr. NORWOOD asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mr. NORWOOD. Mr. Speaker, today we will make a great step forward, in 
my opinion, in making health care available to all Americans. The 
Health Care Coverage Availability and Affordability Act will give 
Americans the two things they need most: increased access to health 
care and decreased cost. We will give hardworking Americans increased 
access by addressing the issues of preexisting conditions and 
portability. We will decrease the cost by

[[Page H2970]]

tax deductibility for the self-employed, authorizing small employers' 
purchasing pools, and allowing Americans to have medical savings 
accounts. We are going to accomplish this without increasing government 
bureaucracy or writing thousands of pages of new regulations.
  Mr. Speaker, we are increasing access while lowering costs. Should 
that not be the goal of any health care legislation? We are doing it 
with as little government influence as possible, or interference. I 
urge my colleagues to support 3103, and I would remind them that when 
we talk in this body about rich and wealthy, the liberal Democrats 
define that as anybody with a job.

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