[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 88 (Friday, June 14, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6263-S6264]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           HEALTH CARE REFORM

  Mr. COVERDELL. Mr. President, let me just say that, again, I want to 
close by talking about the fact that this Congress, the 104th, the 
Senate and House, has done remarkable work in bringing to the country 
some relief in the insurance marketplace for health insurance.
  We heard, in the last Congress, about the large number of people who 
are disadvantaged in the insurance marketplace and that they lose their 
insurance if they change jobs. The costs are too high. A lot of young 
people do not have insurance, or somebody who has had a medical problem 
has difficulty getting insurance. We oppose vehemently the idea of a 
new massive Government takeover to run every aspect of everybody's 
decisions --families and persons.

[[Page S6264]]

  Well, the principal advocates for a Government takeover of health 
care are now telling us that it is simply unacceptable that they are 
going to use medical savings accounts, which is a new opportunity in 
the marketplace. The President and the Senator from Massachusetts have 
keyed in on that and said, no, that cannot be in the marketplace. They 
are so opposed to this concept that they are going to block everything, 
leave the uninsured uninsured, leave the person who cannot move from 
one job to another unable to do that, let the person sitting out here 
--I met one of them just last week--who cannot get insurance because of 
a preexisting condition. Too bad. Let the self-employed, who cannot 
deduct their cost for insurance--they cannot deduct it like somebody 
who works for a company--too bad, we do not like medical savings 
accounts, even though the vast number of Americans do. So we are going 
to block it all, we are going to filibuster this election of conferees 
to bring a reasonable health care solution to the country to the table. 
No, America, you cannot have it because the new leadership and Senator 
Dole on our side wants this new product called medical savings 
accounts. So if it cannot be their way, it will not be any way.
  If you really want to get to the bottom line, I think that they would 
be just as fine to let it go, not let this come into place, so we can 
come back with a new match of Government proposal after the next 
election.
  Mr. President, what do folks think about these medical savings 
accounts? Here is a quote: ``Today I would like to appeal to President 
Clinton to please support the MSA issue. Nearly 3 years ago, we went to 
an MSA plan, and it has been very helpful to us.''
  Is this one of those rich people they talk about? No, it is Penny 
Blubaugh, secretary and part-time bus driver for the Danville, OH, 
local school district. She is asking the Senator from Massachusetts and 
the President to let this go through, saying that it has been helpful 
to her. She would like others to take advantage of it.
  Here is another one: ``An amendment to the health care package has 
been offered to add a medical savings account provision. The United 
Mine Workers have a similar provision in our current contract that is 
anticipated to produce a significant savings to our previous 
insurance.'' This is a quote from a letter to Paul Simon of Illinois 
from Dan Reitz, political director of United Mine Workers' State 
chapter in Illinois. That does not quite fit the picture of this so-
called rich beneficiary.
  ``Mr. President, we believe MSA's will be a huge benefit to the 
American public. MSA's are not a partisan issue. Democrats supported 
MSA's in the 102d and 103d Congress, and we support them in this 
Congress because they are a good idea. That increases access, controls 
costs, and offers options.'' That is in a letter to President Clinton 
from Democrat Congressmen Bob Torricelli and Andy Jacobs of New Jersey 
and Indiana.
  Well, the list goes on and on, Mr. President. They have talked 
about--the Senator from Massachusetts and the White House--that it only 
benefits the wealthy and the healthy. But in truth, regarding the 
experience of 2,000 companies with MSA's, a recent study by the Rand 
Corp. shows that MSA's appeal to those of all income levels and would 
attract those of all health conditions, including the chronically ill. 
In fact, I was at a press conference and a press interview, and one of 
the persons there supporting this had fought off what might have been a 
terminal illness. So it is just inappropriate to characterize this as 
just serving the wealthy and the healthy.
  Mr. President, I see the hour of time which I control has expired. I 
will just close by saying I hope that the White House will implore the 
Senator from Massachusetts to allow us to proceed with the health care 
reform that helps bring insurance to small businesses, to small 
farmers, people looking for some relief, people who are looking for a 
friendlier work environment in order to obtain health insurance. The 
Senator from Massachusetts has it all bottled up. The Senator from 
Massachusetts has it all bottled up, and that means millions of 
Americans are bottled up. It is time to bring this to an end and let 
these reforms became part of the American workplace.

  I yield the floor.
  Mr. MURKOWSKI addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alaska.
  Mr. MURKOWSKI. I wish the Chair a good morning, and my colleague from 
Georgia. I enjoyed his reflection on health care.

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