[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 135 (Thursday, October 7, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2068]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 2990, QUALITY CARE FOR THE 
UNINSURED ACT OF 1999, AND H.R. 2723, BIPARTISAN CONSENSUS MANAGED CARE 
                        IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 1999

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                               speech of

                            HON. JAY INSLEE

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, October 6, 1999

  Mr. INSLEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the rigged rule for 
debate on the patients' bill of rights. Ever since this session began, 
I have been working with my colleagues to bring `bipartisan patients` 
bill of rights to the floor for a vote. But now that Republicans have 
been forced to allow a vote on the bipartisan consensus managed care 
bill, they have written a rule designed to kill the measure.
  Instead of providing a fair and open rule considering the patients' 
bill of rights, the Republican Leadership has stacked the deck by 
writing a rule that blends the managed care bill with a measure riddled 
with special interest ``poison pills'' designed to kill the measure, 
and that denies us the opportunity to offset any potential revenue 
losses from the measure.
  The Republican Leadership is combining the bipartisan managed care 
bill with a so-called insurance access bill, which is not paid for. In 
addition, the Republican leadership is denying a bipartisan group of 
members the right to offer an amendment to offset the cost of the bill 
and be fiscally responsible.
  If we can defeat this flawed rule, bipartisan advocates of managed 
care reform will return with a fair and open rule that will permit 
enactment of managed care reform. My constituents deserve patients' 
bill of rights. I urge my colleagues to vote down this rule and to 
support real managed care reform and bipartisan patients' bill of 
rights.

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