[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1993, Book I)]
[May 6, 1993]
[Page 582]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Exchange With Reporters on Health Care Reform
May 6, 1993

    Q. Mr. Clinton, has your health care program slipped into June?
    The President. No. What do you mean ``slipped into June''?
    Q. The announcement of it.
    The President. I don't know when we're going to announce it. We 
haven't decided exactly. But we're working on it. The most important 
thing is we're going to finish, outline the details on time. Then we're 
going to--and one more round of extensive consultations. When we come 
forward with it depends in part on how we're doing with the 
consultations. You know, I had lunch today with leading Republican 
Senators and Members of Congress. We'll just see what happens.
    But the critical thing is, we want to introduce it and reveal it in 
time to make sure it is considered this year. The American people need 
health security. We need to control the cost of the health care system. 
We need to be able to guarantee that the American people are not going 
to lose their health coverage if some misfortune befalls them. And we're 
going to give the American people that kind of plan. It will be 
exciting, and it will be dealt with this year.
    Q. Do you want to make sure it doesn't get caught up in 
reconciliation?
    The President. Well, I think it's going to be caught up to some 
extent in it regardless. But I think there is a limit to--I don't think 
Congress can consider it until they consider the reconciliation. The 
real issue--it's really almost a technical one--it is at what point in 
the calendar must a bill be introduced in order to go through all the 
processes to be considered and voted on by the end of the year. No one 
thinks it will be considered at the time reconciliation is. The only 
question is, how quickly do we have to get it in so that it could 
actually be voted on if we can persuade the Congress to vote on it in 
this calendar year. That's the issue. And it's almost a mechanical 
question as much as anything else. But we're going to have a good 
program. I'm encouraged.

Note: The exchange began at 4:25 p.m. in the Oval Office at the White 
House, at a meeting with the Goodwill Industries National Graduate of 
the Year. A tape was not available for verification of the content of 
this exchange.