[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 80 (Thursday, June 18, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H4724]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                WE NEED MANAGED CARE AND TOBACCO REFORM

  (Mr. GREEN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GREEN. Mr. Speaker, when are we going to get serious about real 
reform?
  Republicans in the Senate have killed tobacco legislation which would 
have helped to reduce teen smoking, and House Republicans are refusing 
to allow real managed care reform to come to the floor. The majority is 
allowing the quality of medical care for our citizens to decline 
considerably while allowing the tobacco industry to jeopardize our 
children's health.
  It is estimated that 3,000 young people start smoking every day. One-
third of these children will eventually die from tobacco-related 
diseases. We need to stop the next generation from becoming addicted to 
tobacco. We need to establish guidelines and protections for patients 
to give them access to quality health care.
  The American people have asked us to protect their children from 
smoking and are demanding top quality medical care. We need tobacco 
reform, we need managed care reform. Eighty percent of Americans want a 
patients' bill of rights and tobacco reform. The Republican majority in 
Congress is denying Americans these important rights.

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