Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 108 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 108 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 149 WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, JULY 8, 2003 No. 99 House of Representatives The House met at 10:30 a.m. and was flexible spending arrangements, and for That message is absolutely right. called to order by the Speaker pro tem- other purposes,’’ requests a conference The problem is that the Republican bill pore (Mr. MURPHY). with the House on the disagreeing is absolutely the opposite. The Repub- votes of the two Houses thereon, and lican Medicare bill, H.R. 1, does not f appoints Mr. GRASSLEY, Mr. HATCH, Mr. even come close to giving seniors the DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO NICKLES, Mr. FRIST, Mr. KYL, Mr. BAU- kind of coverage that Members of Con- TEMPORE CUS, Mr. ROCKEFELLER, Mr. DASCHLE, gress have provided for themselves. The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- and Mr. BREAUX, to be the conferees on The Congressional Research Service fore the House the following commu- the part of the Senate. says the FEHBP plan which Members nication from the Speaker: f of Congress are in offers a drug benefit WASHINGTON, DC. MORNING HOUR DEBATES worth $2,700, but the same CRS, Con- July 8, 2003. gressional Research Service, non- I hereby appoint the Honorable TIM MUR- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- partisan arm of the Congress said the PHY to act as Speaker pro tempore on this ant to the order of the House of Janu- Republican Medicare bill is worth only day. ary 7, 2003, the Chair will now recog- about half of that. The Republican J. DENNIS HASTERT, nize Members from lists submitted by Medicare bill does not offer American Speaker of the House of Representatives. the majority and minority leaders for seniors health care choices just like morning hour debates. The Chair will f Members of Congress even though the alternate recognition between the par- President said it did. It does not even MESSAGE FROM THE SENATE ties, with each party limited to not to come close. A message from the Senate by Mr. exceed 30 minutes, and each Member, Even a basic comparison shows how except the majority leader, the minor- Monahan, one of its clerks, announced the Republican bill comes up woefully ity leader, or the minority whip, lim- that the Senate has passed with short. The Republican bill tells seniors amendments in which the concurrence ited to not to exceed 5 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman they have to pay a $250 deductible. of the House is requested a bill of the Members of Congress do not pay a de- from Ohio (Mr. BROWN) for 5 minutes. House of the following title: ductible. The Republican bill requires H.R. 1. An act to amend title XVIII of the f seniors with drug costs over $2,000 to Social Security Act to provide for a vol- MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG continue paying monthly premiums untary program for prescription drug cov- BENEFIT even though they do not get any cov- erage under the Medicare Program, to mod- erage until they spend an additional ernize the Medicare Program, to amend the Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a de- earlier this year President Bush ad- $2,900 out of pocket. Members of Con- duction to individuals for amounts contrib- dressed a Michigan audience laying out gress do not make premium payments uted to health savings security accounts and his plans to restructure Medicare. He and get nothing in return. The Repub- health savings accounts, to provide for the said, ‘‘If it’s good enough for Members lican Medicare bill does not offer disposition of unused health benefits in cafe- of Congress, it’s good enough for sen- American seniors health care choices teria plans and flexible spending arrange- iors in this Nation.’’ What he meant just like Members of Congress. It does ments, and for other purposes. was that American seniors who enroll not even come close. The message also announced that the in Medicare should have health insur- The Washington Post said the drug Senate insists upon its amendments to ance choices like those available to benefit proposed by the Republicans for the bill (H.R. 1) ‘‘An Act to amend title Members of Congress under the health seniors provides merely a fraction of XVIII of the Social Security Act to insurance plan called the Federal em- the drug coverage that Members of provide for a voluntary program for ployees health benefits plan. President Congress receive. The chairman of the prescription drug coverage under the Bush was not the only one to say so. health policy department at Emory Medicare Program, to modernize the Republican leaders in the House made University said that drug benefits are Medicare Program, to amend the Inter- the same point. All of us have heard much better in the congressional Fed- nal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a de- colleagues here say that. That mes- eral employees plan. Still do not be- duction to individuals for amounts con- sage, that seniors should have the same lieve the Republican bill offers a bad tributed to health savings security ac- kind of health insurance choices avail- deal for American seniors? You have to counts and health savings accounts, to able to Members of Congress, was an look no farther than H.R. 2631 on to- provide for the disposition of unused important selling point for the Repub- day’s suspension calendar. H.R. 2631 health benefits in cafeteria plans and lican Medicare prescription drug bill. says that private insurance plans under b This symbol represents the time of day during the House proceedings, e.g., b 1407 is 2:07 p.m. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. H6273 . VerDate Jan 31 2003 03:37 Jul 09, 2003 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A08JY7.000 H08PT1 H6274 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE July 8, 2003 the Federal employees health benefit that process. The first is the Ready to Patterson of Jamaica, on behalf of the plan must agree to provide drug cov- Teach Act of 2003 sponsored by the gen- people of the U.S. Virgin Islands, the erage for Federal retirees actuarially tleman from Georgia (Mr. GINGREY) Congressional Black Caucus, and the equivalent to the drug coverage they which will strengthen and improve Congress of the United States. We in provide to current Federal employees. teacher training programs all around the Virgin Islands and the CBC pledge In other words, what that means is this country. With the enormous re- our continued support as they meet the that when Members of Congress and sponsibilities weighing on them today, challenges presented by new global and other Federal employees retire, they we owe it not only to American teach- regional trade alliances and loss of will not be forced to go into H.R. 1, ers but to their students to prepare preferences, HIV/AIDS and the other into the Republican Medicare bill. It is every one of them before they set foot social and economic needs of their con- good for Members of Congress, it is in the classroom. Highly qualified stituencies, governance, the need for good for Federal employees, because teachers, as all of us know and some of regionalization and the difficult rela- the Republican Medicare drug benefit us were lucky enough to have in tionship with us, their northern neigh- would be a step down for them. Re- school, are worth their weight in gold. bor. member what the President said: If it But too many inexperienced teachers I particularly want to recognize the is good enough for Members of Con- are being thrown into the classroom historic participation of the Honorable gress, it is good enough for seniors in without effective training and prepara- Thabo Mbeki, President of South Afri- this Nation. That is what he says about tion. This legislation will start meas- ca, in the recent 24th regular meeting the Republican bill. uring training programs’ success and of the conference of CARICOM heads of It would be a big step down to go into holding them accountable. It will bring government in Montego Bay, Jamaica. the Republican privatized drug benefit higher qualified individuals into the His presence significantly underscores plan for the 13 million American pri- training programs and ultimately into the connectedness of all people of Afri- vate sector retirees who get drug cov- the classrooms. It is an important first can descent and the sameness of our erage through their employers’ health step in reshaping American education struggles no matter whether on the insurance. The Congressional Budget to face the emerging challenges of the continent of Africa or in the diaspora. Office said that more than one-third of 21st century. As we are linked by blood and history, all seniors who are in private retire- Equally important is the bill of the so is our future tied together. ment plans will see their plans dropped gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Mr. Speaker, the Caribbean commu- by their employer. They will be forced WILSON), the Teacher Recruitment and nity also shares important historical out of the private coverage they have Retention Act. Under this bill, quali- ties with this Nation and today rep- today, forced out of that plan and put fied teachers in math, science and spe- resents not only an important trading into the inferior Republican Medicare cial education would be eligible for stu- partner with the balance in our favor prescription drug plan.