[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 99 (Wednesday, July 14, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H5463]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  REPUBLICANS BLOCK DEMOCRATIC EFFORTS IN SENATE TO IMPROVE AMERICA'S 
                         HEALTH CARE INSURANCE

  (Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, the morning papers are 
recounting what took place in the Senate yesterday when the Republicans 
blocked the efforts to try to provide better health care to people who 
have health insurance.
  When the Democrats offered amendments to make it easier for women to 
choose their primary care physician, to choose an obstetrician/
gynecologist, the Republicans blocked that effort. When the Democrats 
tried to offer an effort to make it easier for people who are denied 
services to have grievances against the HMO and the managed care 
corporations, the Republicans blocked that effort. When the Democrats 
tried to make it easier for people to go to the nearest emergency room 
in an emergency and know that they would be reimbursed for going to 
that emergency room, the Republicans killed that effort.
  However, the Republicans did decide that they would let women who had 
had a mastectomy stay in the hospital a couple days longer. Apparently, 
the Republicans will not let us go to the doctor to detect a cancer, 
but if we have the cancer they will let us stay in the hospital 2 days 
extra.

                          ____________________