    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (1999, Book II)]
    [October 7, 1999]
    [Pages 1709-1710]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on House Action on Proposed Patients' Bill of Rights Legislation
    and an Exchange With Reporters in New York City
    October 7, 1999

        The President. This afternoon the House of Representatives took an
    important and encouraging step in the effort to give the American people
    a real Patients' Bill of Rights. After rejecting watered-down
    legislation by substantial votes, the House voted by a large margin to
    approve a strong bipartisan Patients' Bill of Rights, sponsored by
    Congressmen Norwood and Dingell.
        The passage of this bill represents a major victory for every family
    and every health plan. It says you have the right to the nearest
    emergency room care and the right to see a specialist. It says you have
    the right to know you can't be forced to switch doctors in the middle of
    a cancer treatment or a period of pregnancy. And it says you have the
    right to hold your health care plan accountable if it causes you or a
    loved one grave harm.
        It shows that America is no longer willing to allow unfeeling
    practices of some health plans to add to the pain of injury or disease.
    It proves that America is committed to putting patients first.
        But let me be clear: We still have a lot of work to do before this
    bill becomes the law of the land. When the House and the Senate
    negotiators meet, we must be sure the bill is paid for, and when they
    meet in conference, the Republican leaders must resist the urge to
    weaken the patient protections guaranteed in the Norwood-Dingell bill,
    and they must not undo behind closed doors what has been done in the
    public. They must also resist the urge to load up the final legislation
    with poison pill provisions that they know I can't sign.
        But today, let's just congratulate the members of both parties in
    the House of Representatives for making a responsible choice in the face
    of significant pressure to do otherwise.
        I especially thank Congressman Norwood
    and Congressman Dingell for their
    leadership and for their dogged determination. We have shown once again
    that, when we work together across party lines, we can use this moment
    of prosperity to meet the greatest needs of the American people.
        Thank you very much.
        Q. Sir, what do you think made the difference? Yesterday you were
    almost conceding defeat.
        The President. I think a lot of work was done by a lot of people,
    but I think in the end, most people just went up there and voted for
    what they thought was right. Now, you know, there's kind of an unusual
    parliamentary maneuver of which you're all aware in which they've tied
    another bill to it and sent them both to conference. The other bill is
    one I don't support. It would cost an awful lot of money and help less
    than one percent of the uninsured in America, most of whom can afford
    their own health care policies anyway. And so we have to watch things
    like that being done in the final legislation. But a big majority of the
    House did

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    vote for this bill, just as it was written, and I'm very proud of them.
        This is the sort of thing America wants us to do. We can work
    together across party lines; we can get things done. There will still be
    plenty for the two parties to argue about in good conscience in the
    coming election. No matter what we do, we can deal with every challenge
    before the Congress now, and there will still be things to debate next
    November.
        So I would hope that this is an omen of more good things to come.
    And I'm certainly prepared to do my part, and I'm very grateful today. I
    talked to some Republican and Democratic House Members before the vote
    and encouraged them. And I'm very proud of all of them. And I thank
    them.

    Meeting With Teamsters President

        Q. Could you tell us about your talks with Hoffa?
        The President. Excuse me?
        Q. Could you tell us about your talks with Jimmy Hoffa----
        The President. Oh, sure----
        Q. ----and did you ask him to not stand in the way of an early
    endorsement of the AFL-CIO for Gore?
        The President. Actually, we didn't talk much about that. We talked
    about--this is the first long personal visit we've had, although we've
    worked on a lot of things. He thanked me for the work that I'd done over
    the last 6\1/2\ years. We talked a little about that.
        We talked about--interestingly enough, we talked about Franklin
    Roosevelt and Frances Perkins and the rise of the American labor
    movement for some good amount of time; said he was glad I was coming
    tonight, and that President Roosevelt was the last President to talk to
    the Teamsters.
        And we talked quite a bit about trade and about his strong feeling
    that we ought to make sure that the safety provisions of NAFTA are met.
    And I assured him that we were doing everything we could to do just that
    and that we would continue to do so.
        He said he was deeply concerned that, ever since the recession in
    Mexico and then the recession in Asia, countries with whom we had had a
    balance of trade or a small surplus we now seem to be running large
    deficits with. He was concerned about the rise of protectionism in
    Europe. And we talked about that.
        And that was--most of our conversation was about that. We also
    talked about golf for probably too long. We had a good talk about golf.
    We didn't talk too much about other politics, and I said I look forward
    to seeing him tonight.
        Thank you.

    Patients' Bill of Rights Legislation

        Q. Mr. President, do you have any reason to believe the Senate will
    allow the right to sue?
        The President. Sure, if they listen to the American people. That's
    what happened today. I mean, 70 percent of our citizens want it; 70
    percent of Republicans want it. And there's a way to do it. If they just
    look at their own estimates--not mine, the Congressional Budget Office--
    says it will add, at the most, $2 a month a policy to have all the
    protections of the Patients' Bill of Rights. And that's a good
    investment in our future.
        Thanks.

    Note: The President spoke at 5:35 p.m. at the Sheraton Towers. In his
    remarks, he referred to James P. Hoffa, general president, International
    Brotherhood of Teamsters.