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




   DO NOT LET THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OBSTRUCT HEALTH CARE REFORM TODAY

  (Mr. DOGGETT asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, among the greatest failures of this failed 
Republican Congress is the failure to address the real health care 
needs of the American people. Mr. Speaker, the failed Contract on 
America was essentially silent on this question. Last year Speaker 
Gingrich's entire program on health care was, to use his words, let 
Medicare wither on the vine for the health care security of our 
seniors.
  This year the strategy is a little different. It has been spelled out 
here in black and white in the House Republican national strategic plan 
for 1996. The health care plan they outline is, and I quote: ``We will 
pursue a targeted inoculation strategy on Medicare''; not to inoculate 
against illness among the American people, but to inoculate against one 
of the most highly contagious illnesses politically in this country, 
and that is that the American people are beginning to understand the 
neglect and the failure of this Congress brought on by this Republican 
Party that cares more about special interests than the true national 
interests of the American people. Do not let them obstruct health care 
reform today. Let us do something for the 42 million American people 
who lack health insurance, health insurance coverage.

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