[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 17]
[House]
[Page 24317]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                REPUBLICAN HEALTH CARE REFORM IS A RUSE

  (Mr. PASCRELL asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. PASCRELL. Madam Speaker, I want to commend the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Dingell) and the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Norwood), 
great Americans, for providing a great service to all of us on a 
managed care bill which I think will work. But there are Members of 
this House that are working against this consensus by introducing 
substitutes that in no way equal the comprehensive approach.
  We have heard a great deal of hysteria in the past few weeks about 
how Norwood/Dingell will expose our small business owners and employers 
of all shapes and sizes to massive new litigation threats.
  If my colleagues read the bill, and I would suggest that they read 
the bill, on page 99 it says very specifically in Section 302 that the 
bill ``does not authorize any cause of action against an employer, or 
other plan sponsor maintaining the group health plan, or against an 
employee of such an employer.''
  It is a ruse. They have provided a ruse. Why do they not tell the 
American people the truth instead of standing out there with the money 
changers as they were yesterday as we walked here to do business?

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