[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 92 (Thursday, June 20, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H6633]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                BLOCKING COMMONSENSE HEALTH CARE REFORMS

  (Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, one way to improve health care 
and lower costs is by taking power and influence out of the hands of 
bureaucrats in Washington and returning it to the American people.
  A bipartisan majority in the Congress is poised to give the American 
people more power and control over their medical care by passing the 
Health Coverage Availability and Affordability Act to make health 
insurance portable and affordable.
  This bill will free workers from the worry that if they lose or 
change their job they will lose their health insurance. It will provide 
millions of small business employees, many who now have no insurance, 
the option to choose innovative, affordable medical savings accounts or 
MSA's. It will allow tax deductions for long-term health care and it 
will restore dignity to dying by allowing terminally ill patients and 
their families to receive tax-free accelerated death benefits.
  The White House and one legislator should not stand in the way and 
deny millions of Americans commonsense reforms including MSA's that 
will make health insurance more portable and affordable.

                          ____________________