[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 132 (Monday, October 4, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H9245-H9246]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         DEMOCRATIC CALLOUSNESS

  (Mr. ARMEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ARMEY. Mr. Speaker, the do-nothing Democrats are at it again.
  This morning the Census Bureau announced that the ranks of the 
uninsured have grown by one million people in this last year. How did 
the do-nothing Democrats respond to that news? Well, essentially, Mr. 
Speaker, they told the uninsured to drop dead. That is right. They 
scheduled a press conference for this afternoon to denounce our access 
bill for the uninsured. On the very day we learn that 44.3 million 
Americans went without health insurance last year, the Democrats 
announce that they are standing in the hospital door to make sure that 
no Republican gets credit for helping the uninsured.
  How callous can they be?
  And where are their solutions for the uninsured? Nowhere to be seen.

[[Page H9246]]

  Meanwhile, they are calling our access bill for the uninsured a 
poison pill. How dare they.
  Now I ask you, Mr. Speaker, what is poisonous about expanding 
community health centers for the poor? What is poisonous about giving 
the cashier at the hardware store the same tax deduction for health 
care that now a corporate CEO gets? What is poisonous about letting 
every American have a medical savings account? What is poisonous about 
letting small business band together to buy cheaper coverage for their 
workers? What is poisonous, Mr. Speaker, about giving hard-working 
families special relief for providing long-term care for their aging 
parents?
  Mr. Speaker, there are 44.3 million Americans that do not think 
access to affordable health coverage is a poison pill. The only poison 
in this debate is the callousness of the do-nothing Democrats. They 
ought to be ashamed, Mr. Speaker.

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