[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 16]
[House]
[Page 22157]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            SUPPORT THE WELLNESS AND PREVENTION ACT OF 2007

  (Mr. KNOLLENBERG asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Madam Speaker, I rise today to call attention to the 
rising cost of health care in this country. While the nature of health 
care makes reaching consensus difficult, Congress must take action to 
make health care more affordable.
  For this reason, I have introduced H.R. 853, the Wellness and 
Prevention Act of 2007. This legislation encourages the implementation 
of wellness and prevention plans in the workplace. The bill allows 
companies and employees to collect tax credits for wellness programs.
  Statistics have proven that every dollar a business spends on a 
wellness program results in a $3 return. Furthermore, Americans will 
take charge of their own health, thereby increasing productivity and 
reducing absenteeism.
  I invite my colleagues to sponsor H.R. 853, because as the old saying 
goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Congress must 
now act to reduce the risk of disease, encourage a healthier America 
and help curb the rising cost of health care.

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