[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 52 (Thursday, May 4, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Page S4092]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                PROGRAM

  Mr. FRIST. Tomorrow, the Senate will continue to discuss medical 
liability and small business health plans. Tomorrow, it will be 
necessary to file cloture motions on the motions to proceed to these 
bills. Senators can expect two votes Monday afternoon at approximately 
5:15. These votes will be cloture votes to proceed to the two medical 
liability bills. If cloture is not invoked on these bills, we will have 
a cloture vote on Tuesday morning on the motion to proceed to the small 
business health plans bill.
  I am pleased we will be addressing these health care issues which, if 
we enact this legislation, both the medical liability and the small 
business health plans, will diminish the cost of health care to 
everyone who is listening, to my colleagues and others listening across 
America. There is no question about it, the cost of health care will go 
down.
  Secondly, it will improve access to health care. Right now, it is 
crazy. It is absurd that expectant mothers have to worry about whether 
they are going to have an obstetrician to deliver their child or there 
are people who have to worry about, if they are in a trauma accident, 
whether there is going to be somebody at the hospital who can give them 
the immediate treatment, therapy that can be curative at the time they 
arrive. But that is the reality. That is where we are today.
  If we come together, put partisanship aside and address these bills 
on principle, then we can do a lot for the American people in terms of 
affordable health care, assuring access to health care, and raising the 
quality of health care.

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