[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 84 (Monday, June 10, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S6019]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           HEALTH CARE REFORM

  Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, let me also indicate to my colleagues that 
we have just completed a very successful meeting with Republican House 
Members and Republican Senators on health care reform. We have now 
reached agreement on the Republican side. Senator Kassebaum, Senator 
Roth, Congressman Archer, Congressman Hastert, Congressman Armey, the 
Speaker, myself, Congressman Kasich, and many others have been involved 
in this process.
  We believe that we have put together a good, solid, health reform 
bill that will help millions and millions of Americans. My only regret 
is that we cannot vote on it before I leave at 2 o'clock tomorrow. But 
we have the agreement. That is the important thing. I hope now that the 
Democrats, including the Senator from Massachusetts, Senator Kennedy, 
will take a hard look at what we have been able to put together. In our 
view it goes a long way in ensuring portability. It does a great deal 
for the self-employed. It does a great deal in making health care 
affordable. It also will start the MSA process, medical savings 
accounts, which have broad appeal in this country.
  We believe we are on the right track. So now it is up to the White 
House. It is up to the President. I hope the President will say this is 
good, this is close enough, maybe not everything he wanted. It is not 
everything we wanted, but that is the way it works when you go to 
conference.
  So the Republicans have agreed. Now we need to appoint conferees. 
Hopefully our Democratic colleagues will let us do that tomorrow. They 
refused to let us appoint conferees. But now since the Republicans have 
agreed--we are the majority party--I hope there will be an effort to 
come together. I want to thank particularly my colleague, Senator 
Kassebaum, and also Congressman Archer. They both had to give up--you 
cannot have everything. They both gave considerable amounts in the 
negotiations. But I think we reached a very good agreement, I mean good 
in the sense for the American people.

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