[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Page 17589]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      HEALTH CARE WEEK VI, DAY II

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, as both parties work together on 
reforming health care, Americans have been clear about what they want 
to see in a result. Americans want health care that is more affordable 
and accessible, but they also want to preserve the choice and quality 
that our current system provides.
  We also know what Americans do not want. They do not want a 
government plan that forces them off their current insurance; denies, 
delays, and rations care; or costs trillions of dollars, only to leave 
millions of Americans with worse health care than they currently have.
  And Americans certainly do not want us to throw together some 
patchwork plan that nobody has had a chance to look at, and then rush 
it out the door the way the stimulus bill was, just so politicians in 
Washington can say they accomplished something.
  Americans are increasingly concerned about some of the proposals 
coming out of Washington, and they are concerned about the cost, about 
who gets stuck with the bill.
  And they are concerned for good reason.
  All the cost estimates we have seen for Democrat reform proposals 
have been staggering, and most of them only hint at what the true cost 
of these changes might be.
  Moreover, some estimates claim to cover a 10-year period but actually 
only cover a 6 year period.
  We also know from hard experience with programs like Medicare and 
Medicaid that government-run health plans are likely to cost far more 
in the long run than original estimates suggest.
  And we have seen that with the current administration initial 
estimates and assurances are not always on target. Earlier this year, 
the Administration predicted the stimulus bill would keep unemployment 
below 8 percent. It is now approaching 10 percent.
  So Americans are increasingly concerned about cost. This is why the 
advocates of government-run health care are scrambling for a way to pay 
for it. But in their rush to find the money, they have come up with 
some terrible ideas, such as forcing small business owners and seniors 
to pick up the tab through higher taxes and cuts to Medicare.
  Let me repeat that: the advocates for government-run health care now 
want small business owners and seniors to pay for their plan through 
higher taxes and cuts to Medicare. This is exactly the wrong approach. 
Raiding one insolvent government-run program to create another is not 
reform. It is using old ideas to solve a problem that calls for fresh 
thinking. Medicare should be strengthened for future generations, not 
used as a piggy bank to fund more government programs.
  As for tax hikes on small business owners, this is the last thing we 
should be doing to the people who have created approximately two-thirds 
of America's jobs over the past decade at a time when the unemployment 
rate is approaching 10 percent. According to the President of the 
National Federation of Independent Business, some proposals currently 
being considered in Congress could kill more than 1.5 million jobs. And 
there is strong evidence that low-wage workers, minorities, and women 
would be hardest hit. In the middle of a recession, we should be 
looking for ways to create jobs, not destroy them. We should be looking 
for ways to help workers, not hurt them.
  Americans want health care reform. But they do not want so-called 
reforms that could costs trillions of dollars, that could increase 
insurance premiums, or that could cause millions to end up with worse 
care than they now have. And they certainly do not want a slapped-
together plan that's paid for on the backs of seniors and small 
business owners.
  Instead, Americans want us to work together on proposals that are 
likely to garner strong bipartisan support. I have listed many of these 
proposals repeatedly over the past several weeks, such as reforming 
medical malpractice laws to get rid of junk lawsuits and bring down 
costs, and encouraging wellness and prevention programs such as those 
that help people quit smoking and overcome obesity, programs that have 
already been shown to cut costs. These are some of the commonsense 
ideas Americans are looking for on health care reform.
  Health care reform will not be easy. But it does not have to bury our 
children and grandchildren deeper in debt when so far this year we're 
already spending an average of $500 million a day in interest on the 
national debt. The proposal I have mentioned should be easy for 
everyone to agree on. They would lead to measurable results. And they 
would not force anyone to lose the care they have, see cuts to 
Medicare, or foist higher taxes on small businesses.
  Americans are concerned about the cost of reform. We should work hard 
to assure them that we are too.
  I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mrs. SHAHEEN. I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum 
call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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