[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 21]
[House]
[Page 30007]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




          CONGRESS' UNFINISHED BUSINESS SHOULD BE ATTENDED TO

  (Mr. TIERNEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. TIERNEY. Mr. Speaker, it is interesting to hear our colleagues on 
the other side of the aisle tell us that they want to keep government 
quiet and not do any business. One Member, in fact, was quoted as 
saying that this last session was a ``legislative respite.''
  In fact, there is unfinished business; and the American people do 
want Congress to attend to that business, not the least of which would 
be prescription drug relief. Anybody that goes back to their district 
and talks to anyone, particularly seniors, understands that this 
Congress has been derelict in its duty to not address the high cost and 
lack of accessibility and affordability for prescription drugs, 
particularly to seniors.
  Mr. Speaker, we have the Prescription Drug Fairness for Seniors Act 
that has not seen any action by this House, which some estimate would 
save 40 percent on the cost of prescription drugs. We have a health 
care delivery system that is in need of attention. The American people 
would be the first to step forward and say this is a role for 
government to come in and provide some focus and some attention and 
some direction. HMOs are in trouble. Hospitals are having difficulty 
making ends meet. They are closing down, leaving some patients in the 
position of having to drive miles and miles just to get emergency care 
and other relief.
  We have the Patients' Bill of Rights that passed this House and now 
is languishing somewhere in the netherland.
  Mr. Speaker, we need some unfinished business to be attended to.

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