[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 90 (Tuesday, June 18, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H6427-H6428]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  HEALTH INSURANCE REFORM HELD HOSTAGE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Stearns). Under the Speaker's announced 
policy of May 12, 1995, the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Weller] is 
recognized during morning business for 5 minutes.
  Mr. WELLER. Mr. Speaker, I represent probably the most diverse 
district in the State of Illinois. I represent part of the city of 
Chicago, the south suburbs in Cook and Will Counties, industrial 
communities like Rockdale and Bradley and La Salle/Peru, farm towns and 
a lot of cornfields.
  Because my district is so very diverse, I am always looking for 
commonality, common concerns that the working people of my diverse 
district have.
  I find that a major concern of working families, of course, is 
finding ways to make health care work better for working families and 
reforming health care. Of course my predecessor talked about Medicare.
  Frankly I want to make it very clear that we Republicans are 
committed to saving Medicare from Bankruptcy. The trustees just a few 
weeks ago say if we do nothing, Medicare goes bankrupt in 5\1/2\ years. 
In fact, the Republican budget increases funding for Medicare by $724 
billion, a 62 percent funding increase for Medicare. We are committed 
to saving Medicare.
  We are also committed to raising take-home pay for working families, 
increasing the opportunity for working Americans, and also helping 
small business and their employees. As that common concern which 
resonates in my district, and, that is, making health care better by 
improving access and by improving health care, of course, that is a 
concern I have got.
  I know it is a priority in this Congress to reform health care. Over 
the last 16 months I have held town meetings and talked with a lot of 
my neighbors about what we can do to make health care better. When you 
listen and you learn the concerns of the people that I represent, 
frankly you learn, No. 1, that there are 40 million Americans today 
that do not have health care insurance. When you listen to those 40 
million Americans you learn something that frankly is a surprise for 
many people, and, that is, that 85 percent of those without health care 
coverage are self-employed, they are small-business people, they are 
employees of these small businesses, and they are families.
  The chief reason they are unable to obtain health insurance is 
because they cannot find affordable rates of health insurance. We are 
committed to making health care more affordable because we recognize 
that that will improve access for working Americans to our health care 
system.
  This Republican House and the Republican Senate have responded and 
passed health care reform that makes health care more affordable by 
making it easier for small employers to band together and pool their 
employees so they get more affordable group rates on insurance; 
increasing the self-employed tax deduction, and, thanks to

[[Page H6428]]

Bob Dole, we increased it to 80 percent; making health care insurance 
more portable so you can take it between jobs; and no one can be denied 
coverage because of preexisting conditions. We also provide for medical 
savings accounts, an innovation that is working across this country. We 
want to improve access by making health care more affordable to 
Americans.
  I think it is important today to note that it was 57 days ago that 
the U.S. Senate passed the health insurance reform legislation by a 
vote of 100 to 0. Every Member, Democrat and Republican, voted for that 
health care reform bill.
  Both the House and Senate have passed health care reform, so what is 
the holdup? I think it is important today to point out that today is 
day 57 of health care reform being held hostage in the United States 
Senate. Health care reform is being held hostage by a small, narrow, 
extreme, left-wing minority of one who stands in the way of health care 
reform. Working families, small businesspeople, entrepreneurs, flower 
shops, local grocery stores, the people on Main Street----


                announcement by the speaker pro tempore

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Will the gentleman suspend for one moment. 
It is not in order to cast reflections on the Senate or its Members, 
individually or collectively. The gentleman may resume.
  Mr. WELLER. Working families, the self-employed, flower shops on Main 
Street, the backbone of our society, the little guys and gals are being 
punished because one Member is filibustering legislation to provide 
health care reform and make health care affordable.
  This particular Senator is using medical savings accounts as his 
excuse for blocking affordable health care reform. The reason this 
Senator is filibustering health care reform is because he wants a 
Government takeover of our health care system.
  Medical savings accounts are an idea which was discussed while I was 
in the State legislature.


                announcement by the speaker pro tempore

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Will the gentleman suspend. It is not in 
order to cast any reflection on the Senate or its Members and I ask the 
gentleman to refrain from doing so.
  The gentleman may proceed in order.
  Mr. WELLER. Medical savings accounts are an issue I dealt with as an 
Illinois State legislator. While I was in the Illinois General 
Assembly, we were successful in passing medical savings accounts. Since 
1993, Illinois residents in the Land of Lincoln have been able to reap 
the cost-saving benefits of MSAs.
  In fact, there are 18 States today that are leading the effort to 
provide for medical savings accounts. In fact, there are hundreds of 
thousands of employees of small businesses and corporations that have 
the opportunity to have medical savings accounts. Medical savings 
accounts work because they provide choice for working Americans, choice 
amongst their health care providers, choice amongst their physicians. 
They lower costs by rewarding cost-conscious consumers, and they also 
provide for portability between jobs.
  Unfortunately one legislator stands in the way with his filibuster, 
and unfortunately that interest is blocking health care reform.
  There is strong bipartisan support for health care reform in the 
House and Senate. It passed the Senate by 100 votes to nothing, it 
overwhelmingly passed the House, and if it is allowed to be voted on, 
it will pass.
  Ladies and gentleman, I ask the President to call on this one 
legislator in the other body to drop his effort to hold health care 
reform hostage.
  Let us bring the bill up for a vote. Let us send it to the President 
with this bipartisan effort to make health care more affordable and 
become law.

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