[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 91 (Wednesday, June 19, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H6513]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




REPUBLICAN HEALTH CARE REFORM BLOCKED IN THE SENATE BECAUSE IT DOES NOT 
                      RELY ON GOVERNMENT MANDATES

  (Mr. ARMEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, in 1992 the House Republicans, working with 
President Bush, put together an excellent health care bill designed to 
address the questions of portability and affordability for the American 
people. That bill was not allowed on the floor in 1992 by the then 
majority Democrat leadership.
  As Members know, we have struggled with this question of health care 
for some time. We have passed through the House a bill that ensures 
affordability, ensures portability, and offers to 40 million Americans 
the health care savings account. The people who would take advantage of 
these are the self-employed and employees of small business, people who 
would have an opportunity to buy the most rational insurance possible 
for themselves by their own choosing, get a tax credit for putting 
money in a savings account with which to deal with the deductible and 
incidental medical expenses, and an ability to do something for 
themselves on their own health care.
  That bill is under consideration in the other body and is stopped by 
one Senator and one Senator alone, from Massachusetts, who apparently 
does not like freedom and would only have the Americans do what they 
please if it is mandated.

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