[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Page 20318]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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  SENATE RESOLUTION 231--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE THAT ANY 
HEALTH CARE REFORM PROPOSAL SHOULD SLOW THE LONG-TERM GROWTH OF HEALTH 
    COSTS AND REDUCE THE GROWTH RATE OF FEDERAL HEALTH CARE SPENDING

  Mr. BENNETT (for himself, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Wicker, Mr. Johanns, Mr. 
Coburn, and Mr. Crapo) submitted the following resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on Finance:

                              S. Res. 231

       Whereas health care spending has risen close to 2.4 
     percentage points faster than gross domestic product (GDP) 
     since 1970; and
       Whereas the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 
     projects health care spending to be 17.6 percent of GDP in 
     2009 and 20.4 percent of GDP by 2018: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
       (1) any health care reform proposal should reduce total 
     spending on health care in the United States during the next 
     decade to below current projections by the Centers for 
     Medicare & Medicaid Services; and
       (2) any health care reform proposal should reduce the 
     growth rate of Federal health care spending.
  Mr. President, today I am submitting a resolution on the future of 
health care spending. It is both simple and straightforward. It states 
that health care reform shouldn't cost the Federal Government more 
money. As health care proposals have received their scores from the 
Congressional Budget Office, we have seen figures ranging from $597 
billion to over $1 trillion. In fact, when asked point blank in a 
Senate Budget Committee hearing if the current reform proposals would 
help bend the cost-curve of health care spending in this country, CBO 
Director Elmendorf replied that it would worsen an already bleak budget 
outlook, increase deficit projections and drive the nation further into 
debt. It would raise, instead of lower, the cost-curve of health care 
spending and, simply iterated, this nation cannot afford it.
  Already this year Congress has spent $787 billion on a stimulus 
package with diminutive effects, passed an omnibus appropriations 
package and an emergency supplemental appropriations with a price tag 
of $105.9 billion. We cannot continue to spend as if there is an 
endless supply of resources and as if this spending doesn't affect 
American families.
  I am an advocate for health reform. I have cosponsored the Healthy 
Americans Act with Senator Wyden because we need to reform our 
country's health care system. However, I believe we need to do it in a 
way that does not significantly increase the federal responsibility for 
health care costs.
  This resolution expresses the Sense of the Senate that health care 
reform proposals should reduce total spending on health care in the 
United States during the next decade to levels below current 
projections by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and reduce 
the growth rate of Federal health care spending. Not only is this 
feasible, but it should be our goal. Health care reform at the expense 
of our economy is not reform we should support.

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