[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 80 (Monday, June 1, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S5893]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              HEALTH CARE

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, we're all interested in reforming 
health care. And while this debate has yet to fully play out, we 
already know one thing for sure: any action we take on this issue will 
affect every single American.
  There is no doubt Americans are frustrated with the increasing cost 
of health care and that many are worried about losing the health care 
they have. Many Americans can't afford health care or have to choose 
between basic necessities and medical care they need. This is what is 
wrong with the current system, and we need to fix it.
  Yet it is also true that many Americans are satisfied with the care 
they have. They like being able to see their doctor and being able to 
get the care they need, when they need it. These are the things that 
are right about patient-focused American-style healthcare, and that we 
wouldn't want to sacrifice.
  So while both parties recognize that serious reform of our health 
care system is needed, we must also recognize the importance of getting 
it right. Americans want reform. The question is what kind of reform. 
Reform is necessary, but not all so-called reforms are necessarily 
good.
  Based on some of the things we have been hearing out of Democrats in 
Washington in recent weeks, Americans have good reason to be concerned 
about what the future holds for health care.
  The biggest concern is the talk of a Government takeover of health 
care. Americans suspect that what's being sold as a Government 
``option'' would soon become the only option.
  Those who like the care they have don't particularly like the idea of 
the people who brought us the Department of Motor Vehicles handling 
life or death health care decisions, like whether or not they are 
eligible for surgery or whether they qualify for a certain medicine 
according to some impersonal Government board in Washington. They don't 
want to rely on bureaucrats in Washington to get their phone calls 
returned or their office visits covered. But the prospect of a 
Government takeover of health care is becoming more and more real.
  Democrats in the Senate want Government to play a dominant role in 
health care delivery. Both the chairmen of the Senate Finance and HELP 
Committees have said they want to produce legislation that relies on a 
Government-run plan. And nearly half of Senate Democrats have endorsed 
a resolution stating that any health care reform must include a 
Government-run plan.
  Democrats in the House of Representatives are circulating an outline 
of how they would like to change American health care. Their plan would 
create a Government-run insurance model that could limit patient 
choices. Americans who want to keep their health insurance plan should 
be allowed to do so. Yet one respected study showed that 118 million 
Americans could lose their current private insurance and end up in a 
Government plan if this proposal was enacted. The House Democrats' plan 
could also lead to the creation of a Government board that would 
determine what benefits and drugs are available to patients and what 
prices would be charged.
  The administration also wants the Government to take a leading role 
in health care. During the campaign, the President said that if he were 
designing a system from scratch, he would probably ``go ahead'' with a 
single-payer system. The Secretary of Health and Human Services shares 
the President's belief that any reform must guarantee the inclusion of 
a Government plan.
  The American people want health care decisions left up to families 
and doctors, not bureaucrats in Washington. They don't want a 
Government takeover that denies or delays the care they need, and they 
don't want politicians telling them how much or what kind they can 
have.
  That is why many of us who recognize the need for reform will insist 
on making health care more affordable and accessible, while protecting 
the doctor-patient relationship and ensuring every American can get the 
care they need, when they need it. This is the kind of health care 
reform that Americans want, and this is the reform we will support.
  I yield the floor.

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