[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 149 (Thursday, October 30, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S11444]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             SUPPORTING NANCY-ANN MIN DEPARLE'S NOMINATION

  Mr. KENNEDY. In June, the President nominated Nancy-Ann Min DeParle 
to be Administrator of the Health Care Financing Administration [HCFA]. 
When confirmed as the Head of HCFA, Ms. DeParle will be responsible for 
running Medicare, Medicaid, and the new children's health program, and 
provide valuable direction for other important health insurance 
initiatives. More than 70 million Americans--senior citizens, children, 
persons with disabilities and others--depend on these programs for 
lifesaving health care. Leaving this critically important agency 
without a leader during this challenging time is irresponsible and 
indefensible, and I urge the Senate to move quickly to confirm her 
nomination.
  It is especially offensive that a Senator is holding this nomination 
hostage in order to extract a concession from the President on an HCFA-
related issue. We all want things from HCFA, and those issues should be 
resolved as part of the legislative process, not by denying this 
important Federal agency the leadership it needs.
  At this moment, a large number of Medicaid waivers are pending from 
States that want flexibility to go beyond the current rules. Hundreds, 
perhaps thousands, of decisions must be made regarding implementation 
of the Medicare provisions in the Balanced Budget Act--including the 
establishment of important new preventive benefits. This historic 
legislation also included the largest health insurance expansion since 
the creation of Medicare and Medicaid. It provides health insurance to 
uninsured children in working families who earn too much to qualify for 
Medicaid but not enough to purchase private health insurance. We all 
worked hard for this program. All 50 States will be submitting their 
plans for this coverage in the coming months and HCFA needs to take 
action.
  Ms. DeParle is extremely well-qualified to lead HCFA. She served from 
1993 to 1997 as the Associate Director for Health and Personnel at the 
Office of Management and Budget. In this capacity, she guided the 
development and implementation of budget and policy matters for all 
Federal health programs, including Medicare and Medicaid. In addition 
to other accomplishments, she has extensive experience running a state-
level cabinet agency. From 1987 to 1989, she administered a 6,000-
employee agency as commissioner of human services in Tennessee.
  No significant objection to her nomination was raised at the Finance 
Committee hearing in September. She was approved unanimously by the 
committee on September 11, and she has been waiting since that day for 
the full Senate to act. It is long past time for the Senate to act.

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