[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 38 (Tuesday, March 16, 2010)]
[House]
[Page H1460]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           HEALTH CARE REFORM

  (Mr. PETRI asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PETRI. Madam Speaker, the American people want health reform. 
They want affordable, reliable care. But after watching the current 
majority wrangle for over a year to produce gargantuan bills filled 
with complicated and punitive policies, tax increases and special 
deals, the American people are right to say, no, we don't trust the 
current Congress to do this right. They have seen how the Congress has 
worked over the past year and have rightfully said that it's crazy to 
give the government greater control over our health care. They look at 
aspects of the legislation before us and say, yes, there are provisions 
here that we like, but at what cost? They have projected trillion-
dollar deficits stretching to the horizon. And we are told that this 
big, new entitlement will truly restrain costs. Is that credible?
  I believe the more sensible approach is a simpler approach. I would 
favor expanding health savings accounts coupled with catastrophic 
insurance and paid for with subsidies when necessary. It is a simple 
arrangement that everyone can understand and would help to restrain 
costs because everyone would have incentives to spend carefully. It's 
not all I would do, but it's understandable.
  Instead, the current majority is pushing ahead with a breathtakingly 
expensive bureaucratic and regulatory monstrosity. This is no way to 
restructure one-sixth of our economy.

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