[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 90 (Tuesday, June 18, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H6431]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       MSA'S PROVIDE FREE MARKET SOLUTION TO HEALTH CARE PROBLEMS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Arizona [Mr. Salmon] is recognized for 2 minutes.
  Mr. SALMON. Mr. Speaker, since the start of the Clinton 
administration, our President has taken American workers for a 
rollercoaster ride when it comes to fundamental health care reform. Two 
years ago we faced the scary plan called Clinton Health Care, which 
basically was a system of socialized medicine. Clinton Care completely 
rejected the idea that free market reforms, not big government, 
centralized control, might be the way to bring health care costs into 
line, and it would have forced people into managed care.
  Americans were confronted with this ridiculously complex plan that 
would have even further increased our citizens' dependence on the 
Federal Government and ultimately left our children with debt even 
worse than today's already unacceptable high levels.
  Today in Congress we have a plan, a good plan, for health care 
reform. It does not call on the Federal Government to take over 
anything. Instead, we propose to fix our problems in a manner that 
befits our free market economy by empowering Americans to have more, 
not less, control over their health care. Our plan will let Americans 
take their health care insurance with them when they change jobs, limit 
exclusions for preexisting conditions, and, perhaps most importantly, 
give Americans the option to choose medical savings accounts, MSA's. 
Our plan believes in giving people, not bureaucrats, the power to make 
personal health care choices, but this plan is held hostage, day 57.

  MSA's, which is a component of our health care reform plan, provide 
free market solutions to our health care problems. Because of the 
fundamental good sense MSA's make, we have more and more Democrat 
converts to this economically sound reform option.
  While I would prefer to give the MSA option to all Americans, I 
recognize slow progress is better than no progress. Such is the nature 
of compromise. All in all, however, we in Congress have a solid reform 
plan, and I am proud of the spirit of bipartisanship that many have 
brought to this cause.
  However, one more Democrat still has not joined us in this 
compromise, and that is President Clinton. His refusal to take it up 
has brought this reform to a halt. I call on the President in the 
spirit of bipartisan, working together for Americans on crucial, 
crucial health care reform, for all Americans, to stop this hostage 
taking of the health care reform plan, come on board, and do what is 
right for America.

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