[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 164 (Thursday, November 5, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2729-E2730]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              HEALTH CARE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. TIMOTHY H. BISHOP

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, November 5, 2009

  Mr. BISHOP of New York. Madam Speaker, 4-1/2 decades ago on this very 
floor, Congress debated legislation closely related to the bill we will 
consider later this week.
  It is said that history is destined to repeat itself, especially when 
we repeat ourselves. So listen to these statements from the 
predecessors of my friends in the minority when they debated the bill 
creating Medicare.
  Their arguments sound very familiar--some strikingly similar--to the 
comments we've been hearing about the Affordable Health Care for 
America Act:
  Quoting Representative Durwood G. Hall, a Republican congressman from 
Missouri, who happened to also be a medical doctor:

       Mr. Speaker, the basis of quality medical care is the 
     voluntary relationship between the doctor and patient. This 
     would begin to disappear as the Government supplants the 
     individual as the purchaser and provider of health services . 
     . .
       Are we to tell the people of America, the senior citizens, 
     that they are not capable of determining this matter . . .
       The result will inescapably be third-party intrusion into 
     the practice of hospitalization and medicine. The physician's 
     judgment would be open to question by others, not responsible 
     for the patient's wellbeing . . .

  Congressman Hall went onto say:

       . . . Its adoption would be another downward step toward of 
     loss of freedom of choice.
       Consequently, we cannot stand idly by now, as the Nation is 
     urged to embark on an ill-conceived adventure in Government 
     medicine, the end of which, no one can see, and from which 
     the patient is certain to be the ultimate sufferer. For make 
     no mistake about it: The medical profession will never 
     deprive the people of high-quality medical care and the 
     fruits of progress of medical science. That will come when 
     the Government begins meddling and interfering with medical 
     freedom.

  Quoting Edward Derwinski, a Republican congressman from Illinois, who 
made similar arguments:

       As we look into the future, we see clear signs of rigid 
     governmental control of our

[[Page E2730]]

     medical system which can only be detrimental to all our 
     citizens. At the risk of oversimplification, may I state that 
     this bill is a sugar-coated pill that is being swallowed in 
     an easy fashion, but its ill effects will be felt in the 
     ultimate crippling of our medical services and unwarranted 
     regressive tax burden on our citizens.

  Quoting Congressman Thomas Curtis, also from the state of Missouri, 
who has this to say:

       What we have done is to take a system that has proved 
     successful for 85 percent of our people, including our older 
     people, in order to solve the problems of the 15 percent.

  These arguments were made by Republicans while debating the Social 
Security Amendments of 1965, commonly known as Medicare--the bill that 
became law and responsible for the program that has treated and cared 
for tens of millions of American seniors with the medical care they 
need,
  It is striking but not all too surprising that the Grand Old Party is 
using the same old arguments on the other side of the aisle today.
  I doubt there is any member in this chamber today who would 
reasonably argue that Medicare has not benefited our Nation. Do they 
think insurance companies would step in to cover a 75-year old cancer 
patient if it were not for Medicare?
  Madam Speaker, the specter of a government takeover of health care 
has been part of the Republican playbook for nearly 45 years. It wasn't 
true then and it isn't true now.
  Medicare is the life blood of today's seniors. It put the `great' in 
LBJ's Great Society. History is destined to repeat itself--not just the 
mistakes, but the triumphs as well.

                          ____________________