[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 143 (Sunday, October 11, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H10516]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       ON CONGRESSIONAL ACTIVITY

  (Mr. GEJDENSON asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GEJDENSON. Mr. Speaker, I can hardly believe what I have just 
heard. The Republican Party, which has used its majority in Congress to 
deny people access to education, to deny them access to health care, 
refuses to take any steps to deal with HMO reform or the seniors, a 
quarter of a million of which have lost their health insurance, comes 
here and claims they are doing a good job.
  Harry Truman could not find a rating low enough for this Congress. We 
should not leave here until we deal with the education issues, until we 
deal with the health care issues. You had time to try to give big 
tobacco a $50 billion tax cut. We ought to spend a few hours in these 
last days to make sure that senior citizens do not have to be 
frightened every day about whether or not their HMO is going to drop 
them. The gentlemen on that side of the aisle get the same kind of 
constituents as I do. They look to us for help. I do not know what 
answer you are going to give them. This new freedom that is out there 
in the health care system means doctors and hospitals and patients have 
no rights. We have got to change that. The country is going to judge us 
on that. I hope everybody watching at home calls their Congressman and 
tells them they want the education package and they want HMO reform. It 
is the only way to move this group, to let them know that the American 
people are angry and frustrated, and now is the time to act.

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