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Congressional Record—Senate S8663

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Congressional Record—Senate S8663 August 3, 2009 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S8663 Americans do not want a single-payer But among the most troublesome as- The bill was reported by the Appro- system. The leadership of both parties, pects of this so-called reform is the en- priations Committee more than 3 House and Senate, understands this actment of a public plan which will in- weeks ago on a bipartisan basis with fact. The American public does not evitably lead to a single-payer system all members voting in support of the want a wholesale government takeover Americans don’t want and don’t need. measure. of one-sixth of our economy. We do not Don’t take my word for it on the As my colleagues are aware, as the want waiting lists such as in Canada. cost, on the loss of choice, and on the new chairman of the Appropriations We do not want rationing such as in effect on small business job creators. Committee this year one of my goals the United Kingdom. Just read the words of the nonpartisan was to increase transparency and ac- Realizing where public opinion is on Congressional Budget Office. On the countability in the appropriations this pivotal issue, the advocates of issue of massive, unsustainable cost process. In many respects I have fol- these congressional Democratic plans shifting to State governments, don’t lowed the lead of former Chairman have gone to great lengths to assure take my word for it. Listen to the ex- Senator BYRD in this regard. To this people they do not want a single-payer perienced Democratic Governors plead- end, the Agriculture bill and report option either. These reassurances have ing with us not to go down this road. have been available on the Internet and come from as high as the White House And when it comes to whether the goal in printed form for several weeks. All itself. Just last week in North Caro- of this whole exercise is to move us to Members have had ample time to re- lina, President Obama said: a European single-payer plan, it is no view the material in this bill. Nobody is talking about some government longer necessary to heed the warnings As the Senate considers this measure takeover of health care. .These folks need of the political conservatives. When it will find a bill that will meet our Na- to stop scaring everybody. you listen closely, the leading advo- tion’s critical requirements to support I wish that were true. But with due cates of the House and Senate legisla- agriculture and related programs respect to our Chief Executive, there is tion, in their unguarded moments, are which are vital to our economy and, a reason people are frightened. They willing to admit that a single-payer frankly, our Nation’s livelihood. Our Nation has been blessed with a are paying attention, and they see that government takeover is their ultimate wealth of natural resources which al- sponsors of this legislation are, in fact, dream. I hope we do not go down that lows us to be the world’s leader in agri- advocating a government takeover. road. I found it interesting that just 1 day Madam President, I yield the floor. culture. This bill offered by Senators after the President’s remarks, I turned The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- KOHL and BROWNBACK will help to en- sure that we maintain that position. on the news to see one of the most sen- ator from Connecticut. There is a total funding of $123.9 bil- ior Democratic chairmen in the House Mr. DODD. I yield to my colleague lion included in this bill, of which from Vermont. of Representatives seem to contradict $23.05 billion is for discretionary pro- the President. Here is the exact quote AMENDMENTS NOS. 2276 AND 2271 TO AMENDMENT grams, the same as the 302(b) alloca- NO. 1908 from this leading Member of the House tion. While this represents an 11-per- Mr. SANDERS. Madam President, I on the consequences of a public option. cent increase in funding when com- He said: seek unanimous consent to set aside pared with fiscal year 2009, not includ- I think if we get a good public option, it the pending amendment so that I may ing supplemental spending, my col- could lead to a single payer and that is the call up my amendments Nos. 2276 and leagues should recognize that for too best way to reach single payer. 2271. long funding for our Agriculture and The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without I wonder what the Federal Trade Rural Development Subcommittee has objection, it is so ordered. The clerk Commission would say about that type been severely constrained. of advertisement. To me, it says: Let’s will report. Even with this level of funding, the lure people into going along with a The legislative clerk read as follows: subcommittee has had to find savings public plan when we know it will even- The Senator from Vermont [Mr. SANDERS] in farm programs to live within this al- tually lead to a single payer down the proposes amendments numbered 2276 and location. 2271, en bloc, to amendment No. 1908. road. I don’t want to take that risk. I very much thank our two managers Another leading House advocate of The amendments are as follows: for their work in preparing this bill. the public option had this to say about AMENDMENT NO. 2276 The Committee on Appropriations has a path to a single-payer system: (Purpose: To modify the amount made offered its unanimous support. I believe This is a fight about strategy about get- available for the Farm Service Agency) the full Senate should do the same. ting there—— On page 24, line 12, strike ‘‘$1,253,777,000’’ f Meaning the single-payer option—— and insert ‘‘$1,603,777,000’’. and I believe we will. AMENDMENT NO. 2271 MORNING BUSINESS I think most folks would call this a (Purpose: To provide funds for the school Mr. DODD. Madam President, I ask classic legislative bait and switch. community garden pilot program, with an unanimous consent that there now be a I recently ran across a blog from Dr. offset) period for the transaction of morning Michael Swickard of New Mexico, cau- On page 52, lines 22 and (23), strike business, with Senators permitted to tioning about this very tactic. Here is ‘‘$16,799,584,000, to remain available through speak for up to 10 minutes each. September 30, 2011,’’ and insert what Dr. Swickard said: The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without ‘‘$16,802,084,000, to remain available through objection, it is so ordered. Given the track record of our government September 30, 2011, of which $2,500,000 shall in bait and switch, all of the promises of na- be used to carry out the school community f tional health care are just that—promises to garden pilot program established under sec- HEALTH CARE REFORM be broken. Maybe there will be a few years tion 18(g)(3) of the Richard B. Russell Na- before the full impact of the bait and switch tional School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1769(g)(3)) Mr. DODD. Madam President, I is felt by citizens. But given the past actions and shall be derived by transfer of the thank my colleagues this evening. I am of our government when implementing pro- amount made available under the heading going to momentarily turn to my col- grams, our future is clear. ‘ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION leagues from Iowa, Ohio, Vermont, and I hope we can avoid that future for SERVICE’ of title I for the National Animal Rhode Island—all of whom participated our country, but the writer’s point is Identification program’’. with us nearly 3 weeks ago in the this: It may take a while, but the pat- Mr. INOUYE. Madam President, the markup of our bill, the Affordable tern is there. The future he fears in- Senate is considering the fiscal year Health Choices Act, which took up an cludes a single-payer takeover that 2010 appropriations bill for the Depart- inordinate amount of time, longer than very few Americans would vote for ment of Agriculture, rural develop- I think any markup certainly in the today. ment, the Food and Drug Administra- history of our committee, maybe the I say to my colleagues, there is much tion, and related agencies. I thank our longest in the history of this body. We to be said about the ill effects of the two managers, Senators KOHL and actually spent about 56 hours, 23 ses- health care proposals being put forward BROWNBACK, for their hard work on this sions, and 13 days on this bill. We con- by the House and Senate committees. measure. sidered just shy of 300 amendments, of VerDate Nov 24 2008 02:28 Oct 22, 2009 Jkt 079060 PO 00000 Frm 00023 Fmt 0637 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD09\RECFILES\S03AU9.REC S03AU9 mmaher on DSK69SOYB1PROD with CONG-REC-ONLINE S8664 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE August 3, 2009 which 161 amendments were offered by they have and the coverage they would done. We have a President committed our colleagues from the minority and like to have is unavailable to them be- to that. Our leadership is committed to contributed significantly and sub- cause the costs are rising almost on an it. The members of our committee who stantively to the outcome of that bill. hourly basis, and they worry about have worked so hard are committed to They did not support the bill in the their families.
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