[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 87 (Thursday, June 11, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6483-S6484]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HEALTH CARE REFORM
Mr. McCAIN. Madam President, I rise to discuss two issues this
morning, health care reform and also the pending supplemental spending
bill that, according to news reports, does not include the Senate
language that explicitly allowed President Obama to keep photos of
detainee abuse during the Bush administration confidential.
I thank my friend from Kentucky, the Republican leader, who has shown
such impressive leadership on, as he describes, probably the most
important domestic issue that certainly will be addressed by this
Congress. I look forward to working with my colleagues over the next
few weeks on legislation reforming our current health care system.
Americans are looking to Congress to enact health care legislation
that provides all Americans affordable access to health insurance and
the ability to choose the health insurance policy that fits each
American's needs. Yesterday, it was reported that 62 percent of
Americans support Congress enacting a major overhaul of the U.S. health
care system, according to a Diageo/Hotline poll.
I believe health care should be available to all and not limited to
where you work or how much money you make. I believe any proposal must
use competition to improve the quality, availability, and affordability
of health insurance and match people's needs, lower prices, and promote
portability. I believe American families, not Washington bureaucrats or
insurance companies, should be in charge of any health care decision.
But I don't believe we need to expand government's bureaucracy to
control one-sixth of our economy to ensure the uninsured get health
coverage. Nor do I believe Americans should be asked to pay more in
taxes to cover the costs of any comprehensive health care reform
legislation.
Last month, the Wall Street Journal stated:
But now Democrats need the money to finance $1.2 trillion
or more for their new health insurance entitlement. . . .
A sampler:
End or limit the tax-exempt status of charitable hospitals.
. . .
Make college students in work-study programs subject to the
payroll tax. Also targeted are medical residents, perhaps on
the principle that they'll one day be ``rich doctors.''
I agree that any real health care reform proposal must address the
tax treatment of employer-provided health benefits, but not in such a
way that would force Americans to fork over more of their hard-earned
money to the Federal Government, particularly during these difficult
times.
Today individuals who receive health insurance through their employer
are not taxed on their health care benefits, as we know. However, those
who purchase coverage on their own do not receive such a tax break.
That is unfair and regressive. It hits those who need this tax break
the most--the self-employed or working poor whose employer does not
offer health insurance coverage.
To offset the taxable treatment of this income, I believe Americans
should have funds returned to them to assist with the cost of acquiring
health insurance. An approach such as this treats individuals equally,
in stark contrast to the system we currently have.
Key to any proposal is a policy that allows people to have
accessible, portable, and affordable health insurance coverage.
Policies should also address what I hear from Americans everywhere I
go--choice. Americans want
[[Page S6484]]
choice. They want choice of their doctor, their care, their coverage,
and employment freedom--freedom to seek employment that is not
dependent on whether an employer provides insurance coverage. This is
particularly important in today's difficult economic times when
Americans are uncertain about whether they will have a job tomorrow.
Some, including the President, criticize this approach. However, the
New York Times reported:
The Obama administration is signaling to Congress that the
President would support taxing some employee health benefits.
While I appreciate the President's and the Democrats' new
consideration of such a proposal, it is not acceptable to turn this
into a tax-and-spend health care reform. Any new resources derived from
changing the existing tax treatment of private health insurance should
be devoted to a fairer and more efficient mechanism for Americans to
acquire private insurance.
The United States spends over $2.4 trillion on health care. Health
insurance premiums continue to rise as employer-based family coverage
increased and Medicare and Medicaid spent $818 billion in 2008 and is
projected to reach $1.7 trillion by 2018.
I also want to mention something that should trouble every American
and every Member of this Chamber.
Last week, I spoke about what the special interests were doing to
derail much needed health reform dealing with prescription drugs, a
reform that is very bipartisan. Any Member in this Chamber knows I work
across the aisle on policies that are important to the American people.
Health reform is one issue that fundamentally must be bipartisan.
All Americans are affected by what we do here, so we should be
working in a bipartisan manner. It is with extreme regret that I read
in ``Roll Call'' this morning about a meeting that Democratic staff was
threatening--let me repeat--threatening Democratic lobbyists or the
organizations they represent against meeting with Republicans and that
attending meetings with Republicans ``will be viewed as a hostile
act.''
This is outrageous. I hope the article is inaccurate. I hope the
staff on the other side does not view health reform as a process they
control by threats and hostilities. I hope we are above that.
Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the
Record the ``Roll Call'' article.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
[From the Roll Call, June 11, 2009]
Baucus Aides Warn K Street
(By David M. Drucker, Anna Palmer and Kate Ackley)
Top aides to Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.)
called a last minute, pre-emptive strike on Wednesday with a
group of prominent Democratic lobbyists, warning them to
advise their clients not to attend a meeting with Senate
Republicans set for Thursday.
Russell Sullivan, the top staffer on Finance, and Jon
Selib, Baucus' chief of staff, met with a bloc of more than
20 contract lobbyists, including several former Baucus aides.
``They said, `Republicans are having this meeting and you
need to let all of your clients know if they have someone
there, that will be viewed as a hostile act,' '' said a
Democratic lobbyists who attended the meeting.
``Going to the Republican meeting will say `I'm interested
in working with Republicans to stop health care reform,' ''
the lobbyists added.
Republican leaders have been meeting with health care
stakeholders for months, with those sessions occurring ``more
frequently than once a month,'' according to a senior Senate
GOP aide.
The stated purpose of Thursday's meeting, organized by Sen.
John Thune (R-S.D.), is to discuss proposals for how to pay
for health care reform.
But the underlying motivation for the get-together is to
encourage health care lobbyists and stakeholders concerned
about the Democrats' health care reform plans to speak out
publicly.
``They need to speak up,'' one Senate Republican leadership
aide said. ``They need to help us help them.''
Thune said Democrats are using threats and intimidation to
keep unhappy stakeholders silent.
``If you don't engage on this thing, this train's leaving
the station,'' Thune said. ``If you want [Republicans] to
have more influence, you've got to engage.''
One longtime health care lobbyist agreed that the GOP
frustration is spilling out of the Capitol and onto K Street.
``It is notable that Republicans are really finding their
voice, and their level of frustration is building with the
stakeholders' inability or refusal to speak out,'' this
lobbyist said. ``They're getting frustrated. Republicans are
doing it themselves.''
One senior Democratic source charged that Thune's meeting
and the supposed motives behind it are in fact a smoke screen
for killing health care reform altogether.
``While Democrats and many Republicans are working
collaboratively to reform health care, a small group of
Republicans appear all too eager to derail this promising,
bipartisan effort,'' this source said. ``It's politics as
usual, it's disheartening and it's a shame.''
Senate Republicans are opposed to plans by President Barack
Obama and Congressional Democrats to implement a government-
run, public plan option as a part of health care reform. They
also are concerned with how Democrats plan to pay for reform.
Recognizing they don't have the votes to stop legislation
on their own, Republicans are pushing their natural allies in
the business community to help bring public pressure to bear
as another way to influence the outcome.
Obama has set Oct. 15 as the deadline for approval of
health care reform, and Democratic leaders in Congress are
rushing to clear bills from their respective chambers by the
end of July.
``Our effort has been to get these folks to speak their
mind,'' one senior Senate Republican aide said.
After months of holding their tongues while inclusive,
bipartisan negotiations continued in the Senate Finance and
Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committees, the
business community has now considered speaking out, given
their displeasure with the HELP panel's reform bill, which
was made public on Tuesday.
But with Baucus' office still warning dissenters that
anyone who makes their opposition public could be permanently
excluded from future negotiations, the groups representing
businesses, health care providers, hospitals and similar
stakeholders are still wavering on whether to voice their
concerns publicly.
The lineup of lobbyists who attended the Wednesday session
included a cast of Democratic insiders similar to that at
previous meetings convened by Baucus' staff. The participants
included: Jeff Forbes, a former Baucus chief of staff who
lobbies at Cauthen Forbes & Williams; Jonathon Jones, a
partner with Peck, Madigan, Jones & Stewart; Tarplin
Strategies' Rich Tarplin, an assistant secretary at Health
and Human Services in the Clinton administration; another
former Baucus top aide, David Castagnetti, of Mehlman Vogel
Castagnetti and OB-C Group founder Larry O'Brien.
Democratic sources noted Wednesday that Baucus is courting
Republican support and remains committed to treating all
stakeholders fairly.
On Wednesday, he met with Senate Minority Leader Mitch
McConnell (R-Ky.) in the Capitol, part of a marathon day of
bipartisan meetings that included a session with his GOP
colleagues at the White House and discussions with Republican
members of the Finance Committee.
``Chairman Baucus wants to continue to keep health care
stakeholders informed of the progress on health reform,''
said the Senator's Finance Committee spokesman, Scott
Mulhauser. ``This is a lengthy, transformative process, and
meetings like these are an essential part of the ongoing,
bipartisan effort to continue to keep everyone at the table
working together.''
One lobbyist who attended the Wednesday meeting with
Baucus' staff said that the message was more bipartisan.
``They said they anticipate having a bipartisan bill and that
the process is going well with Republicans,'' this lobbyist
said. But, the lobbyist added, Baucus' team did warn, ``If
your clients attack the process or the product, it's going to
be hard to work with you.''
As for Baucus, he told reporters earlier this week that he
was not aware of health care stakeholders being threatened by
his staff to play ball with the Finance Committee-led
negotiations or risk being blackballed from the process.
``I'm sure they can all say what they want to say,'' Baucus
said, referring to GOP accusations that health care lobbyists
have been subject to intimidations and threats. ``It's news
to me. I don't think so. I don't know of any.''
Republican lobbyists said they have not felt any threats
from their party.
``For a while, Republicans have cautioned industry to be
careful about getting in bed with the administration or
Kennedy or Baucus too early,'' said Janet Grissom, a lobbyist
at Peck, Madigan, Jones & Stewart, who was once a top aide to
McConnell.
Mr. McCAIN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent for 3 additional
minutes.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so
ordered.
____________________