[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 5 (Tuesday, January 19, 2010)]
[House]
[Page H148]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HEALTH CARE REDUX
(Mr. FLEMING asked and was given permission to address the House for
1 minute.)
Mr. FLEMING. Mr. Speaker, as the health care negotiations have droned
on for months behind closed doors led by Reid and Pelosi without the
participation of the American people, Republicans and even many
Democrats, what do we have to show for it?
We have the Louisiana Purchase, the Corn Husker Kickback, backroom
deals with special interests, protection of the trial lawyers, and,
finally, an embarrassing deal with the unions that allows them to be
exempt from a 40 percent excise tax on ``Cadillac'' health care plans
that the rest of the Nation will be subject to.
To my colleagues: Have you no shame?
What happened to the President's promises of open debate on C-SPAN
and inviting Members of Congress to come to the White House to go over
the health care bill ``line by line''?
I submit today that we scrap the flawed documents under consideration
and immediately begin a bipartisan discussion on how to truly reform
health care in this country in a way that does not involve higher
taxes, higher costs to policyholders, and even more governmental
interference in our daily lives.
____________________