[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 155 (Friday, October 23, 2009)]
[House]
[Page H11717]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  0915
EXPRESSING CONCERN REGARDING THE EFFECT OF PROPOSED HEALTH CARE REFORM 
                          ON SMALL BUSINESSES

  (Mr. KLINE of Minnesota asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. KLINE of Minnesota. Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my 
concern about the majority party's proposed government takeover of 
health care and its devastating consequences for small businesses 
across the Nation. Despite continued calls from me and my Republican 
colleagues for a bipartisan approach that expands access to affordable 
health care to all Americans, the majority party insists on engaging in 
closed door meetings that ignore the input of a significant proportion 
of Congress and the millions of constituents they represent.
  Among the most damaging elements of their proposal is a punitive new 
tax on small businesses that cannot afford to provide the coverage the 
Federal Government decides is acceptable. My Republican colleagues on 
the Education and Labor Committee offered numerous amendments to 
protect the small businesses that drive our economy from these and 
other burdensome mandates that threaten their viability, but our 
attempts were rejected.
  Madam Speaker, it is time to push the reset button on this flawed 
proposal. Members of all political persuasions need to start fresh and 
work in good faith to bring meaningful health care reform to our 
constituents and keep our small businesses thriving.

                          ____________________