[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 49 (Wednesday, April 17, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H3495]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




DO SOMETHING FOR AMERICANS BY PASSING HEALTH CARE REFORM AND INCREASING 
                            THE MINIMUM WAGE

  (Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, Congress has a golden 
opportunity to actually do something for the American people. We can 
pass the necessary health care reform bills this year and also increase 
the minimum wage, like my colleagues have said.
  The Kassebaum-Kennedy health care bill in the Senate will enhance the 
portability of coverage by ending permanent exclusion for preexisting 
conditions. However, the inclusion in the House of the medical savings 
accounts, malpractice reform, and also the taking away of State 
regulation of multiple employer welfare plans will hurt health care 
reform.
  Key Senators, including Senator Kassebaum, have discouraged the 
inclusion of these medical savings accounts because it has no place in 
this bill. House Republicans want to federalize insurance regulations 
for self-insured small business. The States are now regulating these 
plans, and have served as a laboratory for innovation on improving 
coverage and combating fraud. Why do we want to bring that to 
Washington?
  The Nation's Governors, State legislators, and insurance 
commissioners have opposed these provisions, but the majority 
Republicans have put it in. Let us give the people reasonable health 
care reform and a minimum wage increase.

                          ____________________