[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 81 (Wednesday, June 9, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S6730]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                    LEGISLATIVE ACTION IN THE SENATE

  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, a funny thing happened before the Memorial 
Day recess. We finally did something around here. I say ``a funny 
thing'' because we haven't done that much to write home about. What 
happened was we had the juvenile justice bill come before this body. It 
was debated. Amendments were offered. Votes were taken. The Senate 
passed the bill by a large bipartisan majority.
  I think that is the way we ought to be doing our business rather than 
having a bill brought up and having the so-called amendment tree filled 
to prevent those of us on this side of the aisle from bringing up 
amendments. I think the way the juvenile justice bill was handled was 
good. I hope we see more of that openness on the floor of the Senate.
  When we had the juvenile justice bill before us, we did some good 
things. One of the good things we did was to pass some commonsense gun 
laws.
  Now, after a 2-week break, the House is going to be taking up the 
juvenile justice bill and looking at these gun laws and deciding on 
which of them they are going to move forward. From the reports I read 
in the paper today--I haven't read the House bill yet, although we are 
going over it now--those gun laws are significantly weakened.
  I say to my friends in the House, where I proudly served for 10 
years, if anything, you should strengthen those laws, not weaken those 
laws. We had the Lautenberg amendment that passed. As I understand it, 
it has been weakened over on the House side, opening up new loopholes 
so that people at gun shows can call themselves exhibitors and not have 
to pay attention to all the important background checks that should 
take place before a gun is purchased at a gun show. So we will be 
watching.

  As the people were very happy to see us do sensible gun laws, they 
also are waiting for us to do something else. That has to do with their 
health care. That has to do with the Patients' Bill of Rights. That has 
to do with the fact that many HMOs are not treating patients in the 
right fashion.
  I know we are taking up the Y2K bill to protect businesses from 
lawsuits. It is an important bill. I am glad we are taking it up. I 
have my opinions on it. I will be offering an amendment on it. I hope I 
can support it.
  But what about the vast majority of Americans who need us to pass a 
Patients' Bill of Rights? Somehow this keeps going to the back of the 
list. More and more Americans need us to look at their problems: Women 
who can't get access to their OB/GYNs or, if they do, it is very 
restrictive; people who get taken to an emergency room far away from 
the closest one and are told that this really wasn't an emergency, 
because, guess why, they didn't die, so then their HMO doesn't cover 
the visit; a child needs to see a specialist and can't see one or has a 
chronic condition and must always see a specialist and go through 
bureaucratic hoops to see that specialist.
  I thought we honored our children. That is not the way to treat a 
sick child. We should be making the lives of our children easier, not 
harder, especially when they are very sick.
  Worst of all, HMOs cannot be held accountable in court. You cannot 
sue your HMO, even if the HMO made a medical decision that resulted in 
a patient's death or put someone in a coma permanently.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The 5 minutes of the Senator from California 
have expired.
  Mrs. BOXER. I ask unanimous consent to complete in 1 minute.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, the practices of too many HMOs are 
outrageous. It is equally outrageous that we haven't had a chance to 
bring that bill to the floor for debate. We on this side of the aisle 
spent all last year pleading to bring it up, but we were met with delay 
and obstruction, just as we did on the minimum wage.
  We fought hard to finally get a minimum wage bill brought up a couple 
of Congresses ago. We are going to fight hard again to get a new 
minimum wage bill brought up, to get a Patients' Bill of Rights brought 
up. We are not going to stop until it happens. We want to make this 
Senate relevant to the lives of our people, just as we did when we took 
up the juvenile justice bill. I look forward to working with Members on 
both sides of the aisle on a Patients' Bill of Rights, raising the 
minimum wage, and other issues we need to take up.

  I thank the Chair. I yield the floor.

                          ____________________