May 5, 1999 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H2781 I find in my own State of Colorado priate that we should be embroiled in Now, how can we do that? Well, I will that there are thousands and thousands that debate, and there is a great deal of explain how this bill does that. of parents who are taking on the re- discussion about how we ensure that But there is a second aspect of our sponsibility of teaching their children Americans get quality health care. health care system that is equally bro- at home. But, as a part of that discussion, we ken, and that is access to health care. Mr. Speaker, recently I received a have left out a big piece of the debate. Let me explain that. copy of an article that was written by We have talked a lot on this floor Beginning during World War II, many a gentleman by the name of Steven Ar- about patient protection legislation. I employers wanted to be able to give cher, and he details a study that was want to make it very clear. I do think their employees additional incentives just done by Larry Rudner, who is the that we need HMO reform. I do believe to work for them and they wanted to leading statistician at the University that we need to do something to ensure do that by giving them raises. The gov- of Maryland. He studied home that Americans get the health care ernment, however, had instituted wage schoolers, and what it comes down to is that they purchase and that they pay and price controls. As a result of those this. for and that they deserve. wage and price controls, employers He said, But I want to make it equally clear were prohibited from giving their em- Regarding the results of this research, that the entire problem cannot be ployees additional raises. Rudner said, the bottom line of the study is solved by a mega-regulatory piece of So, the mind of man being ingenious, that the 20,000 home-school students I stud- legislation which puts a Band-Aid on they came up with the idea of saying to ied were doing extremely well in terms of the current problems in health care, their employees, ‘‘We will give you their scores on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. which addresses the short-term prob- health care benefits.’’ And as a result In fact, the median test scores for home- lems we have and ignores the long- of a ruling of the IRS and a ruling of schooled children who participated in this study were in the 75th and 85th percentile term problems with our health care the Tax Code, what we established dur- range. This is exceptional compared to the system. And be sure, there are long- ing World War II was a policy which national average which, by definition, is the term problems. has driven employer-based health in- 50th percentile based on the performance of The Patients’ Health Care Choice Act surance. And that policy says that if children in the public schools, which, Rudner is a bill that takes a long-range look at their employer provides them health explained, deviates little from that value. the health care industry and says that coverage, that health care coverage is Home schoolers also did significantly better we can do it better. Fundamentally, it a deductible expense to the employer. than their private school counterparts based operates on the premise that giving That is, he can deduct it from his tax on Catholic school norms where the median scaled scores were in the 65th to 75th per- Americans greater choice in their return before he pays taxes on that tax centile range. health care options, that giving them return or before she pays taxes on the According to Rudner, major findings in the greater access to health care and im- earnings of that business but, most im- study include the following: proving the incentives for them to pur- portantly, it is excluded from income Almost one-quarter of home-school stu- chase and consume health care services to the employer. That is to say, it is dents are enrolled one or more grades above in a responsible fashion will do far unlike wages, which would be taxed their age-level peers in public and private more to improve our health care sys- when received by the employee. In- schools. tem in America than a whole new set stead, health care benefits are excluded It goes on, Mr. Speaker, but I would of complex government regulations from income. just say that it verifies what we al- that try to mandate the marketplace Now, what has that meant? What it ready know about home schooling and and tell businesses how to run their has meant is that many, many busi- that is that it works, it works in an businesses. nesses offer very, very strong health academic sense, it works in a social Let me talk about those three issues care plans that have many aspects to sense. And I want to take the oppor- that I have just addressed, greater them and give Americans health care. tunity here today to thank Jerrod for choice and health care options. Today, That is very, very good. But there has his card, to thank Jerrod’s parents for most Americans get their health insur- been an unintended consequence of giving him the opportunity to be home ance through their employer; and that that, one I already mentioned, and that schooled, and to thank all those thou- has been a good system. It has enabled is now we have got employers pur- sands and thousands, perhaps millions, millions of Americans to get health chasing health care, not individual em- of parents around the country who are care. But, regrettably, it does not give ployees, and that is taking away doing the same for their children. those Americans the kind of choice choice, as I already mentioned. f that we have everywhere else in the But another consequence of the cur- KOSOVO market. rent structure is that all of those If any one of us wants to go buy an Americans not fortunate enough to be The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under automobile, we have dozens we can working for an employer that offers the Speaker’s announced policy of Jan- take our pick from. If we want to buy them health insurance coverage are uary 6, 1999, the gentleman from Cali- a pair of shoes or a new suit or a new left out of the system. fornia (Mr. CUNNINGHAM) is recognized home, we have virtually unlimited Let me try to explain that. If they for 60 minutes as the designee of the choices; and this is a great aspect of are a lucky American and they work majority leader. the American economy. for an employer who provides them Mr. CUNNINGHAM. Mr. Speaker, I But one of the drawbacks of the health care insurance, they are getting yield to the gentleman from Arizona health care system that we have in that health care from their employer (Mr. JOHN SHADEGG) who has, I think, a America today is that many Ameri- and they are getting a tax subsidy be- good health care proposal and is one of cans, indeed more than half of the cause their employer’s cost is sub- our leaders in Congress on health care Americans who are insured, are given sidized. It is a deductible expense to issues. two choices or less. And indeed many the employer, and it is not income to PATIENTS’ HEALTH CARE CHOICE ACT of those, and the statistics are dis- them. Mr. SHADEGG. Mr. Speaker, I thank puted, many in fact get only one But what about those uninsured the gentleman for yielding. And I pre- choice: Their employer says, ‘‘You may Americans? Today, in America, there sume he is going to discuss with us a have this plan.’’ are 43 million uninsured Americans. little bit later some issues about na- This bill, the Patients’ Health Care How do we treat them under our Tax tional defense, and I will await hearing Choice Act, says we ought to be giving Code? The answer is we kind of give his topic and hearing his remarks. Americans a much broader choice. Let them the back of the hand. Mr. Speaker, today, on behalf of my- them pick the kind of health care plan Now what we say to them is they are self and 13 other colleagues, I have in- they want. Let them pick the plan that not going to get a subsidy from the troduced the Patients’ Health Care suits their needs and their family’s government for their health insurance. Choice Act, H.R. 1687. We are embroiled needs. Let them shop with their feet They are not going to get a tax write- in a great debate about health care re- and make market decisions about their off. What we are going to do is say to form in this Nation, and it is appro- health care. them, we are going to punish them. If H2782 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE May 5, 1999 they decide to go out and do something forward. We honestly believe that is a employer might do a calculation. To prudent and take some of their hard- giant step forward for Americans. insure a single young woman 21 years earned dollars and buy a health insur- I do not know how I am doing on old might be as little as $850 a year. By ance plan, we are going to punish them time, but let me just finish with the contrast, to insure her counterpart, a because we are going to say that they last portion of the bill because I think 58-year-old secretary, might be two or have to pay for that plan with after-tax it is critically important. The third three or four or five times that amount dollars, dollars on which they already piece of the bill is to institute some of money. paid taxes. major improvements to both the group The employer would make this cal- What that means to the average insurance market and the individual culation based on an actuarial basis, American whose employer does not insurance market by instituting health looking at the employee’s age, sex, and provide them health coverage is that marts, association health plans, and a geographical location, and come up their cost of health coverage is some- new concept called individual member- with a figure. That figure for a young where between 30 and 50 percent higher ship associations. employee might be $800; for an older than their peer that works for an em- Health marts are organizations that employee it might be $4,000. They ployer who provides health coverage. I are set up, and association health plans would then say to the employee, ‘‘This suggest that that is absolutely irra- are similar to those, to create new is the amount of money you have to tional and insane. pooling mechanisms so that companies shop.’’ Let me make a point at this par- could go together and create pooling If the employee then went out and ticular instance. In America, I believe mechanisms to offer their employees shopped and found a health care plan we have reached a consensus some greater choice. Individual membership which better suited his or her needs or years ago, maybe 5, maybe 8, maybe 10, associations are a new concept in the his or her family’s needs, that amount that no American should go without law, and they do essentially the same of money could be spent by that em- basic health care. If that is our belief, thing, only they move away from rely- ployee to purchase that amount of in- if our public policy in this Nation is ing solely on employer-based health in- surance. Now, we do require that the that people should not go without surance. money must be spent to purchase in- health care, then how can we have a What they say is that new organiza- surance. However, if you are lucky policy that says, if they are lucky tions, like for example the American enough to go out and buy, for example, enough to work for an employer that Automobile Association, or any other a catastrophic policy and have some provides health care, the government association, the Daughters of the savings, the legislation allows you to will subsidize it with a deduction to American Revolution, in my home roll that savings into a medical savings that business; but if, by pure happen- State of Arizona the Arizona State account or a medical IRA for future stance, they are either unemployed or University Alumni Association or the health care needs. they are employed by an employer who University of Arizona Alumni Associa- What we will have done by achieving cannot offer them or does not offer tion, could sponsor a health care plan, this is we will have truly made health them health insurance coverage, we are pool together a large number of Ameri- care personal and portable for those going to punish them and we are going cans and have a group health care plan Americans who choose to opt out of to say they ought to go out and buy in- called an individual membership asso- their employer’s plan. We, the cospon- surance but, if they do, we are going to ciation. Those health care plans would sors of this legislation, the Patients’ charge them 30 to 50 percent more be- provide new pooling mechanisms and Health Care Choice Act, H.R. 1687, be- cause the government will not help. help bring down the cost of insurance. lieve that giving Americans choice will Well, the Patients’ Health Care The last aspect of this bill that I create the right kind of market incen- Choice Act takes a giant step towards think is critically important goes to tives that will improve quality and helping those people by providing a re- the issue of choice, is that as I men- bring down cost, and will do so in a fundable tax credit for those people. It tioned at the beginning, many, many fashion that will benefit the entire sys- is a refundable tax credit set at a mod- Americans are trapped in one health tem. est level, but its purpose is to put on an care plan. Their employer offers them We also believe it will be tremen- equal footing to create equity between only one plan and that is the plan they dously beneficial to small employers those Americans who get their health get to pick from. Sadly, that does not with a relatively small number of em- insurance from their employer and give people the kind of options they ployees who do not want to be in the those Americans not lucky enough to want. business of procuring health insurance do that. The final piece of this bill, to encour- for their employees. They would have age the creation of a market and to b the option of allowing their employees 2015 give people choice, is a provision in the to opt out and creating this new sys- What would this tax credit mean and bill which says that at the employer’s tem. who would be eligible for it? Any decision, employees could be allowed to We have dealt with the problem American who does not get health in- opt out of their company’s health care which will be raised, the issue of ad- surance coverage from their employer plan. verse selection, by allowing the em- would be eligible for the tax credit. Let us say right now you are an em- ployer to make this actuarial calcula- The tax credit would be set, is set, at ployee of a company and you are being tion, so that people will not have a mo- an amount roughly equal to the tax offered a health care plan. Let us say tivation to opt out of their employer’s benefit that employers now get, the tax hypothetically after this legislation system for any reason other than they subsidy that those who are employed goes into effect, you say that you would like to have a choice. We believe now get for their coverage. would rather go shop in the private fundamentally that choice and market All one would have to do to qualify market, you would rather go look and incentives will improve health care. for the tax credit would be to go out see if you wanted to join a health mart We would end the problem that and buy at least a catastrophic policy. or see if you wanted to go to an asso- plagues our current system of over- You would then apply to the govern- ciation health plan or see if you want- consumption. Right now, the current ment, you would certify that you have ed to join one of the insurance plans of- system, because your employer pays bought the policy and you would imme- fered by an individual membership as- for the plan and you consume it, has diately get the tax credit. sociation. created a great incentive for over- Is the tax credit difficult to admin- What you would do is you would go consumption. The average employee, ister? It is not. It works through the to your employer and you would say, ‘‘I understanding that somebody else or withholding system, so that you could would like to consider opting out of my believing that somebody else, their em- withhold from your wages, or you employer-sponsored plan.’’ The em- ployer, has already paid for the bene- would get a benefit in a withholding of ployer would then calculate his or her fits, they tend to overutilize the sys- your wages to allow you to pay for actual cost of insuring you. In reality tem. your health insurance as you go and let we know that younger people cost a lot I recently had a conversation with a you buy that health care as you move less to insure than older people. So an leader in the Senate who indicated to May 5, 1999 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H2783 me that he had recently had a con- Bill of Rights is between a combination Mr. Speaker, what I would like to do versation with a family member who of complex government regulations, tonight is first give in my opinion what had a cold. The family member said, and going at the issue of ERISA reform some of those solutions are instead of ‘‘I’m going to go see the doctor tomor- by allowing lawsuits, we can solve the committing ground troops or con- row about this cold.’’ This leader said, problem. That is not going to solve the tinuing the air war, because as I give ‘‘Well, jeeze, why are you going to go problem. the solutions, Mr. Speaker, I think my see the doctor about the cold?’’ The in- Our legislation says, let us create a colleagues will see that the causes and dividual said, ‘‘Well, I already paid for marketplace. If people want to buy a the problems come in fold. I would like it, and it’s free.’’ plan where the plan is less expensive to start first of all by starting at what Of course that is not true. They did because they have given up their right I consider the beginning of the end. not already pay for that particular to sue their plan, let them do that. On The first was Rambouillet. Ram- visit, and of course no visit to a doctor the other hand, if people want to pay a bouillet was an agreement. I would ask is free. But that is the mind set we little bit more for a plan and recognize you, Mr. Speaker, would you take this have gotten into in America, where we that in paying more, they are getting agreement in hand? First of all, if you have made people not individually re- the right to sue their plan, that seems were going to allow a foreign power to sponsible for purchasing their own to me to give them an option. In addi- occupy what you considered your coun- health care acting in an irresponsible tion to which I think this Congress is try. Secondly, that that foreign power fashion. going to move forward on thoughtful would hold that country, yours, in its legislation for HMO reform which will I believe this legislation takes us in hand for 3 years and then turn it over not open the door to unlimited law- the right direction. I am extremely to a country like Albania that since suits. I agree with the gentleman, the pleased that as we introduced it today, 1880 has not only tried to take Kosovo last thing we want to do is create a the House majority leader, the gen- in expansionism but also Macedonia, litigation frenzy. tleman from Texas (Mr. ARMEY), was Mr. CUNNINGHAM. I thank the gen- Montenegro and even parts of Greece. an original cosponsor of the bill and tleman for his leadership on the health That is why the Greeks are so pet- had some very nice things to say about care issues. I am on the Labor-HHS ap- rified. this legislation. He said, ‘‘I am proud propriations committee. I think it is The ad hoc air campaign is no strat- to be an original cosponsor of the Pa- absolutely exciting seeing the revolu- egy. It is a disaster in my opinion. The tients’ Health Care Choice Act,’’ and he tionary research that is being done all strategy of bombing until they capitu- complimented the tax credit provision the way from cancer to Alzheimer’s to late is poor foreign policy and is not a of it which will deal with the problem Parkinson’s, diabetes. Many of us want strategy. For us that have fought in of uninsured Americans by giving them to double that research budget over the wars, unlike many of my colleagues in a tax credit to go out and buy health next 5 years. We are going to have this body, it is easy to kill but it is care coverage. trouble doing that by some of the very, very difficult to work to live. I am also extremely pleased that the things that I am going to talk about What would you do, then, Mr. Con- American Medical Association, in a here today. But I thank the gentleman gressman, if you had the power? First letter sent to me on April 29 of this for his leadership. of all, halt the bombing. Jesse Jackson, year after having reviewed our draft Mr. Speaker, I am RANDY ‘‘DUKE’’ who I disagree with most of the time, legislation, specifically said, ‘‘Your CUNNINGHAM. I represent the 51st Con- has shown more leadership than the proposed bill will make a significant gressional District in north county, President or many of the leaders in step in the right direction.’’ I think San Diego. I come here tonight, as this body and the other body in my that is because the bill does many of someone once said, with a very heavy opinion. Jesse Jackson has said that a the things that the American Medical heart. diplomacy with no diplomacy is no di- Association says need to be done. I would say, Mr. Speaker, unlike plomacy; that bombing and forcing an We need to make health care per- many of my colleagues in this body and enemy to capitulate with no other dia- sonal, we need to make it portable, we the other body, I spent the majority of logue is wrong. I agree. need to change the system where one my adult life in the military. I come First of all, Russian military, 70 per- person, employers purchase health with a lot of experience. I have flown in cent of the Russian military, according care, but others, individual employees, three fighter squadrons. I was both a to our CIA. I would say, Mr. Speaker, consume that health care. We can re- student and an instructor at the Navy nothing I am going to say here tonight store the marketplace here, we can do fighter weapons school, which most is secondhand. It is firsthand, face to things that will benefit people in a people call Top Gun, where we devised face, either with our intelligence agen- very positive fashion, and we can do the tactics and invasions of countries cies, our military or sources directly that through this legislation. of our potential enemies. I served on related to Kosovo. I am extremely excited about it. I am Seven Fleet Staff, where we planned b 2030 thrilled to have the encouragement of and my preliminary job was planning the AMA and of many leaders here in the invasion and the defense of South- But 70 percent of the Russian mili- the Congress. I look forward to work- east Asia countries. I flew 300 combat tary support the overthrow of the ing on this legislation, the Patients’ missions in Vietnam. I was shot down Yeltsin government. These are the Health Care Choice Act of 1999, H.R. on the 10th of May, 1972, and I was very hard-line Communists, the hard-line 1687, I am thrilled that we can move fortunate, unlike my colleague SAM Communists that want to see Yeltsin this kind of legislation forward to give JOHNSON in this body, was not taken leave and communism returned to the Americans a long-term solution to the prisoner of war but had a helicopter former Soviet Union. These are the health care problem. rescue me before the enemy got to me. same Communists that strongly sup- Mr. CUNNINGHAM. If the gentleman I was commanding officer of an adver- port Milosevic, and it is part of the would answer one question. sary squadron that flew Russian and problem. Mr. SHADEGG. Surely. Chinese tactics, forces against our So how do you resolve that? Let us Mr. CUNNINGHAM. I do not feel that fighters and allied fighters. And I am a solve Russia’s problem, and the United our colleagues on the other side of the student of history, not only of the ca- States and Kosovo and the Albanians aisle, the answer in their Patients’ Bill pabilities but the planning, the at the same time. of Rights was to have unlimited law- strengths and weaknesses in the de- The Serbians, the Yugoslavians have suits, which in my opinion would drive ployment of air, land and sea forces. said that they would allow Russian up the cost of health care and destroy That was my job in the military. troops to act as peacekeepers because our HMOs, versus what you are plan- I come tonight first of all to speak on they trust them. The Greeks, the Scan- ning to do is to make changes, to make Kosovo. Many people will tell you dinavians, the Italians and maybe even sure that people have access and ade- about the problems. They will tell you the Ukrainians, but let us keep out the quate care. Is that correct? about the travesties that are taking United States, Britain and Germany, Mr. SHADEGG. That is exactly right. place, on both sides in my opinion, but who is Yugoslavia’s bitter enemy since The whole theory behind the Patients’ they will not give you any solutions. Hitler’s days. They do not trust them, H2784 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE May 5, 1999 and they are not about to let them on pers of the Albanians. Why? Because In Vietnam it is: Where have all the what they consider their homeland. over 60 percent of the Albanians in flowers gone? Kosovo, as per Rambouillet, you have Kosovo are there illegally. They have As I mentioned, Rambouillet was a got to start over. The President had a crossed the border, they are not citi- disaster, a shortsighted attempt at for- total disregard for the gut feeling of zens, and to separate now the citizens eign policy, and I quote Henry Kis- what Kosovo means to the Yugoslavian from the noncitizens, I think the Serbs singer and Larry Eagleburger: people and to the Albanians as well. It have made it even more difficult. But Was an offer that the President ei- was a no-win situation, and let us start yet that has got to be accomplished, in ther knew or could not accept, that the over. You may have a vote on Kosovo, my opinion; and it is going to have to Yugoslavians could not accept to give but it will have to remain, if you want be done thoughtfully. up Kosovo even if Milosevic had said I peace in that part of the world, it will In the meantime, we are going to will give up Kosovo. The Serbian peo- have to remain part of the greater Ser- have to take a look at the millions of ple with their nationalism have been bia. people, in my opinion, that the United fighting in Kosovo since 1385, that one You can have a cantonization pro- States, NATO and Milosevic himself in three Serbs during World War II gram, much like they have in the Scan- have caused through forced evacuation, gave up their lives against 700,000 Ger- dinavian countries to where they have that those people starving, they are mans on April 5, 1941. The Germans an area for the French, where they hungry. If you look into the eyes of the bombed Belgrade and along with a half have French speakers in French children, they do not have the slightest a million Croatians and a quarter mil- schools, and for the Germans, and for clue of what is going on. lion Muslims have fought with Nazi the Swiss, and on and on. That is ac- These are not the Albanians that I Germany. One in three Serbs died de- cepted by the Orthodox Catholic am talking about, the terrorists. These fending Kosovo, and they either kicked Church of both Greece and greater Ser- are people like you and me with fami- out or killed every single one of the bia and over 200,000 Serbian Americans. lies that just want to live and survive. Muslims, of the Croatians and the Milosevic, once there is stability But I would also say there is the Nazis, and in doing that they paid for Yugoslavians the same way, that to with the peacekeeping troops that he that country in their blood in their identify an entire race as evil is wrong. trusts and that the Albanians trust, opinion. And I think before you ever We have gone down that road in his- then Milosevic has got to withdraw his have a solution, before you ever have a tory too often, and each time it has troops and his armor prior to Ram- foreign policy, you have got to look in been disastrous. the eyes of all the sides affected, not bouillet. It does not mean they have to So we have to aid the citizens on give up full power or autonomy, but just one side, or that diplomacy will both sides at least with minimal condi- fail. It will be a no-win situation. they have got to remove the threat to tions because what are you going to the Albanians and to themselves in the The President basically tried to put a do? You going to bring them back into horse’s head in bed with the Serbian long run. Kosovo in tents, with no food, and The KLA who is supported, and this people, Milosevic. Milosevic sent him there has got to be a general plan and the rest of the horse back because the is not secondhand, not just in the news- a central clearinghouse. President had not a clue on the gut papers, but looking George Tenet, head The United States should provide feeling of the Yugoslavian people as far of the CIA, eye to eye, face to face, and leadership, technology and intelligence as Kosovo. George Tenet told me. He says: in its part of the cost. Europe coun- This is the home of the Orthodox Duke, the KLA is supported by Osama Bin tries, Russia, Greece, Ukraine, Italy, Catholic Church. It is their Jerusalem, Laden, the terrorist that blew up our embas- France, Britain and the others, need to and they will not give it up. So Kosovo sies. Izetbegovic, a Muslim leader in Sara- pick up the slack and to put the pieces has got to go off the table and remain jevo, has over 12,000 Mujahideen and Hamas of the puzzle back together; and NATO that surround him, Mr. Speaker, 12,000. They part of greater Serbia, but yet it can be have emigrated from Iran, Iraq, and Afghani- needs to pay its fair share. The United cantonized. stan and Syria, the fundamentalist Muslims. States is paying for 90 percent of this The military, the Pentagon, told the These are the Jihad, the real bad people in war. That is wrong. There are 18 other President. I can name the guys that I this world. They know that some day that nations in this war, and they should flew with in these wars that are now in NATO and the United States will pull out of have burden sharing equal to ours. the Pentagon. They looked me eye to both Bosnia and Kosovo, and they have sur- One of the other problems, Mr. eye and said: rounded themselves with people they think Speaker, is that the President talks Duke, we told the President not to will give them the strength. Unfortunately, about wanting to save Social Security get into this air war, not to do it, be- the strength is a threat to world peace and a and Medicare and education. Every cause, A, the goals could not be threat to the United States and the free penny of that surplus that he is talking world, in my opinion. achieved with air strikes alone, and the about comes out of Kosovo. We have al- unwillingness to conduct ground troops So, the President has got to look the ready spent $16 billion in Bosnia. We and to insert them into the war, that President of Albania in the eye and still spend $25 million a year in Haiti we would make things worse, that we say: We want every single one of those building roads and bridges. That all would kill a lot of innocent people, we Mideast Mujahideen and Hamas out of comes out of the military budget, and would stretch our military beyond be- the country within a short time. He that has got to change. We are in over lief, we would make ourselves vulner- has got to look Izetbegovic in the eye 150 countries. Our military is so spread able in North Korea and Iraq and other and say: I want every single one of the out and so distraught that we are only places in the world and that we would Mujahideen and Hamas and other fun- saving about 23 percent of our enlisted accelerate an increased forced evacu- damentalist terrorists out of Bosnia, and 30 percent of our pilots. That ation of refugees. And that is exactly, out of Kosovo and out of Europe. Be- means your experience, not only your Mr. Speaker, what we have done. sides that, the President has got to troops working on your maintenance, When you ask the people where were look the President of Albania in the but your aviators and your personnel you when the Serbs came: We were in eye and say: You have got to stop your are without leadership in many cases our homes; they told us to get out. expansionism toward Kosovo, toward and/or expenses. They were not evacuating, they were Macedonia, toward Montenegro and to- We have been in Korea over 50 years. not refugees, but our bombing forced ward Greece. Bosnia, we were supposed to be there 1 acceleration of that, and there are mil- When there is stability and not be- year, and it is $16 billion. We are still lions of people that in my opinion this fore there is stability can you even in Saudi Arabia. It has got to stop, and President and Milosevic are responsible start considering bringing back in the this all needs to be part of the solution for that would not be there today, and refugees. There will have to be some as well as strength through peace. this is a sad thing to say about your kind of outside source to determine Mr. Speaker, let me go back and tell own country, Mr. Speaker, and the which refugees should come back to you in my opinion what some of the lack of planning and understanding and Kosovo. causes, and there is a saying: leadership. One of the problems the Serbs cre- If you smell the roses, look for the You think in the planning to just ated themselves is tearing up the pa- coffins. conduct air strikes, something I did for May 5, 1999 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H2785 20 years, that the President would have of NATO nations and they are speaking from their advisors, the people that looked at the weather to commence air with one voice? know what they are doing in conflict. strikes when the weather is predicted I think that is wrong. The policy to They are out of their element and dis- to be overcast and bad weather, which bomb into submission is a lack of pol- aster is inevitable. you cannot conduct your air strikes icy. I asked General Clark, face-to-face, I safely for 2 weeks. Do you think they Again, I would like to thank Jesse said, how many sorties, how many might have checked the weather? Jackson, who I disagree with most of flights, is the United States making? When Chernomyrdin was on his way the time, and his son serves here on the We have got 19 nations in this. With his to the United States knowing how Rus- other side of the aisle, but I want to eyes he looked at me and he said, sia supports the Serbs, do you think say Mr. Jackson gave more leadership DUKE, to the sortie we are flying 75 per- they might have notified Russia? In- and more thought toward this problem cent of the air strikes. That does not stead Chernomyrdin had to turn than the President of the United include the B–2s, the C–17 logistics, the around his airplane and go back to States, and I want to personally thank tanking and the other missions. That Russia. To me, that is ludicrous. It is him for that. puts us up over 86 percent. Ninety per- not something that you would plan. It is easy to fight, we have the power, cent of the weapons dropped are from And this ad hoc air circus warfare but it is difficult to work and live, and the United States. There are 18 other that is stepped up little by little with I quote Jesse Jackson: There is fear on nations, Mr. Speaker, in this. very little planning is not the way to both sides. The understanding, the di- Our supplemental coming up tomor- win a war, and I would ask you, Mr. plomacy. row should be a check from NATO. Bil- President, to think about what we have When I was a youngster, I worked in lions of dollars for a European war and done. a hay field and I sat on a bench and I we are paying for it, and we are taking Mr. Speaker, do you know the total had a Persian cat jump up in my lap, the money out of the things that we number of people killed in Kosovo prior and I was petting the cat. Just a few are trying to support like medical re- to our bombing? It is amazing. People minutes later a Siamese cat came on search and Social Security and Medi- will say 10,000, 20,000. It is 2,012. Prior the other side. Of course, the two cats care and education to fight this war. to us bombing, this great massive kill- tensed up but I was going to make There are many of us who think that ing, 2,012. them friends. I was smarter than those we should not be there, and that there Tudjman, the head of the Croatians, cats, and I knew their attitudes could is a better way. Eighteen other na- slaughtered 10,000 Serbs in 1995 and eth- be changed. tions. I think that is wrong. nically cleansed out of Croatia 750,000 I moved those cats closer and closer I talked to Stavros Dimas, he is num- Yugoslavians. Where were we then? and they would tighten, and I would ber two in the Greek parliament on the And on a scale 2,012, and one-third of pet them. They would tighten and I minority side. They are absolutely pet- those were Serbs killed by the KLA. would pet them, and I would move rified of Albanian expansionism be- Was there an apartheid? Yes. Ninety them closer. I sat there out of the hay cause, like I said, in the early 1800s percent, not all Albanians, made up of fields with no shirt on and those cats they wanted even parts of Greece. His- other nations. hit each other and I was a shredded tory, in 1389 when Kosovo was one, and As my colleagues know, there was mess. I mentioned that on April 5, 1941, over 100,000 Serbs that left Kosovo be- If one tries to bring refugees into a 700,000 German troops invaded Kosovo cause of the harassment by the KLA. country where they want to kill each and Belgrade was bombed. The Chet- There was fighting on both sides. And other and put the United States in the niks, who were mostly the guerilla before you can have diplomacy, you middle, it is going to be a disaster. fighters, the partisans and the loyal- have got to understand the only prob- The Serbs fear the KLA. The Alba- ists, were led by a general named lem is not Milosevic. The KLA is a nian people fear the Serbs. The Serbs Miholevic, not Milosevic but problem. Tudjman is a problem. Our feel that the country is theirs. The Al- Miholevic, and they killed or kicked lack of understanding of European banians feel that portions of the coun- out every single German out of Kosovo. problems is the problem. try is theirs. Again, before we can have The CIA, George Tenet, again, told And again what I tell you is not sec- any diplomacy, the President has to me that the KLA is supported by ondhand; it is firsthand. understand, when the liberal level at- Osama bin Laden, the Mujahideen and tempts to use a vehicle like the mili- Hamas from Middle East countries. b 2045 tary that they neither understand nor And these are the people that some of General Clark, face-to-face, when I have supported in the past, they are my colleagues want to arm? was in Brussels, said, DUKE, NATO only bound to fail. They say, oh, no, no, no, that is not wanted to bomb one day and quit; to They have a strange dichotomy, Mr. true. That is not true. There cannot be me, face-to-face, not in a newspaper, Speaker. They have a vehicle which any KLA sympathizers to Mujahideen not from an Intel source, that NATO they loath at times, and at the same and Hamas. only wanted to bomb one day and quit. time they use this vehicle to serve for- Well, I would tell my friends that Secretary Cohen said, well, DUKE, our eign policy. They are inept, and I they are wrong and it is backed up eye- biggest problem is the media. If we would say that the Strobe Talbotts, the ball-to-eyeball with George Tenet. have the media coming down on us, we Jane Fondas, the Tom Haydens, the Mr. Speaker, I have a tape here. I are lost. In other words, the spin has Ramsey Clarks are bound to fail be- cannot play it on the floor because it is got to come. Because I asked, why did cause they do not have the gut inclina- illegal to use electronics on the floor of they continue? Because the President tions on what the use of the military the House, and I will not play it, but got ahold of Blair from Britain, and the is, and especially when they deny what what is in this tape is some 36 surface- German Chancellor, and pushed the their warfighters say and go on. to-air missiles fired at a strike in Jan- bombs to what we are doing now, and Let us look at NATO today. It is not uary of 1972. My flight had over 36 that is why I think it really is a Clin- Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher. SAMS fired at it. I lost two good ton-Gore war. Let us look at the makeup. France is a friends this day. I lost two other good For us to disregard the Pentagon, to socialist communist coalition. Italy, a friends and pilots in a strike up by not have the knowledge of what Kosovo former, and I say ‘‘former’’, com- Quang Tri City. meant, to push NATO into this, and munist; they say he is a quick study Part of the supplemental that we are now they are into it, and then to say for democracy. Germany, a Greenpeace going to fight for tomorrow has these NATO speaks with one voice after last socialist. Tony Blair, a liberal left stand-off weapons, the stand-off weap- week in their meeting, if they are labor party. And then the President ons that have kept many of our pilots speaking with one voice, why is Hun- with his military record. safe but yet because of Iraq, because of gary still shipping oil to Serbia, a I contend that this is not leadership other places the President has gotten NATO country? Why is France still in foreign policy with the use of that us into, four times in Iraq, the Sudan, shipping oil? Why is France trading nu- vehicle that will be successful, espe- Somalia, Haiti, that we are running clear weapons to Iran? These are part cially if they turn their heads away out of these stand-off weapons like the H2786 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE May 5, 1999 Tomahawk. We call it a TLAM. The I look at other problems not only in may not be peace in Northern Ireland conventional air launch cruise missile Kosovo but around the world with for- in my lifetime, but we have to keep we call a CALCM, these run at about $2 eign policy. working in that direction. But it does million apiece. The Tomahawk runs at I would ask, Mr. Speaker, on Sunday, not mean that we have to put troops in about a million. The Joint STARS, read the New York Times about the lab Northern Ireland or the Middle East, or which is a joint surveillance large air- secrets that were stolen for China in keep them in Korea or in Saudi Arabia, craft that gives us the intelligence and our nuclear labs. It was found out. The because we have a lot of things in our the information we need on the ground, gentleman pleaded guilty. He actually country that we need to do like social we are short of those. We have lost two took secrets on our missile technology security, like Medicare, like education, F–16s. We have lost two Apaches. We and submarine technology to China. He like medical research. lost an F–117 fighter. gave it to the PLA, the communist Mr. Speaker, I include for the I would say, Mr. Speaker, we are People’s Liberation army, showed it to RECORD the following articles: going to lose more aircraft, and if we them and then burned it and came [From the Washington Post, Apr. 27, 1999] commit ground forces into Kosovo, back. He has confessed. But is he up for ANALYSIS: WARNINGS OF AIR WAR DRAWBACKS even if we force Milosevic to capitu- treason? No. The judge would not han- (By Bradley Graham) late, we then buy Kosovo. If you look dle it. He got a 1-year sentence and he With NATO leaders still wedded to a strat- at the history, General Shelton said is out this year from a prison in Cali- this is absolutely the most difficult egy of pounding Yugoslavia only from the fornia. Treason? air, a top alliance commander warned yes- land and area environment to attack in Colonel Liu, who is General Liu’s terday that the relentless bombing could end the world. It is one of the easiest to de- daughter, the head of technology trans- up setting the country’s economy back sev- fend. fer for the People’s Liberation Army in eral decades and still not produce the desired A single rocket launcher can knock China, Colonel Liu met with John results. out a tank and these narrow roads can Huang. John Huang introduced Colonel General Klaus Naumann, outgoing head of tie up a whole column of tanks. Gue- Liu to the President, gave the Presi- NATO’s military committee, told reporters that alliance leaders came out of their sum- rilla warfare, which they are used to dent, the Clinton and Gore campaign, fighting, they have been fighting there mit conference here this weekend deter- $300,000. mined to pursue and intensify the month-old for 800 years. Yes, I think we can over- Loral gave the Clinton-Gore cam- come the Serbian forces but if we do, bombing campaign. U.S. military com- paign a million dollars. Hughes gave manders differ, however, over when to start A, at what cost? B, we have just bought the Clinton-Gore campaign a million using two dozen AH–64A Apache attack heli- Kosovo. And then what? I think it is a dollars. The following week the Presi- copters now on station in Albania, he said. disaster. dent waived, against the Department of Some officers fear the low-level aircraft are So, Mr. Speaker, I think with the his- Defense, the Department of Energy, still to vulnerable to Yugoslav anti-aircraft tory of the area, that with the lack of missiles. the National Security Agency, waived understanding by the White House, the With consideration of ground forces put off and let the Chinese have, and what did lack of diplomacy with Russia and the for the time being, Naumann said he and threat of Russia becoming involved, it he let them have, Mr. Speaker? Sec- Gen. Wesley K. Clark, the alliance’s top mili- is very evident that we are in a very ondary and tertiary missile boost capa- tary officer, still look to the air campaign to force President Slobodan Milosevic to with- dangerous situation. bility, which we were briefed by the CIA that Korea was 10 years away from draw Yugoslav forces from the embattled I have here, Mr. Speaker, an article Serbian province of Kosovo, largely because that I would like to submit. It says, striking the United States. Guess what? They magically have that now of a sense that no responsible head of govern- Head of U.S. Air Command Warns of ment would allow his country to be reduced Strained Forces. They warned of after we gave it to China. to rubble. strained forces long before Kosovo ever The laboratories, what was stolen? ‘‘Of course, we may have one flaw in our took place. The President was briefed in 1996 that thinking,’’ he added. ‘‘Our flaw may be that We had 14 of 24 jets at Top Gun down we had a spy at our laboratories, at our we think he may have at least a little bit of for parts; 137 parts were missing. Eight nuclear labs, and they did nothing. responsibility for his country and may act of them were down for engines. The What did they steal? They stole the W– accordingly, since otherwise he may end up 414th, which is the Air Force aggressor 88 warhead, which is a small nuclear being the ruler of rubble.’’ warhead. And what did the President Naumann indicated he favors using the squadron in fighter weapons school, Apache gunships against Yugoslav artillery was about the same way. Oceana, a waive, against the Department of De- emplacements along Kosovo’s border with training base, had 4 of 35 jets up, only fense and national security advisors? Albania, saying the Apaches stand a better 4, which trained our new pilots, be- b 2100 chance of finding and destroying these tar- cause they are sending the parts for- gets with less harm to ethnic Albanian refu- ward. The MIRVing capability, which now gees in the area that higher-flying NATO I do not guess Iraq is important any- allows China to put eight nuclear war- warplanes now in use. But yesterday’s crash more because the no-fly zone, we are heads on a single missile. If that is not of an Apache in Albania, during what defense letting that skid. Or the threat to bad enough, the targeting devices, be- officials described as a training accident, only heightened concerns among some Pen- North Korea is not there. fore, yes, they could hit the United States, or if they were targeting Chi- tagon officers about putting the Apaches There is another article here that I into action in a risky environment. would like to submit, Mr. Speaker, cago, they may hit Peoria. But now that says if we were forced to go into they could hit the fourth window on [From the Military Readiness Review, April, North Korea or these other areas, that the third apartment on 32nd Street, 1999] with that accuracy. we could no longer fight a two-conflict KOSOVO AND THE NATIONAL MILITARY STRAT- battle, which is what our national se- When we have that kind of foreign EGY: THE COST OF DOING MORE WITH LESS policy mixed with Kosovo, mixed with curity policy has been. (Written and produced by Floyd Spence This is a very difficult time for my the threat to this country with Iraq Chairman, House Armed Services Com- colleagues on both sides of the aisle. and Iran, then I think this country mittee) We will find a mix of people on both needs to take a sidestep and readjust ‘‘The [U.S. military] must be able to defeat sides of this issue from both sides of not only its foreign policy but its trade adversaries in two distant, overlapping the aisle. I like to bring to it an under- policy as well. major theater wars from a posture of global standing, not only of the diplomacy Mr. Speaker, it brings me a lot of engagement and in the face of WMD and that is needed but the understanding sadness to come to the well tonight to other asymmetric threats. It must respond that is needed before we can ever have speak in this manner. But this is not across the full spectrum of crises, from a peace. an easy situation for any of us. Let us major combat to humanitarian assistance The President’s position of just bomb get out of Kosovo. There is a much bet- operations. It must be ready to conduct and sustain multiple, concurrent smaller-scale until Milosevic quits will not work, in ter way, a peaceful way, to achieve this contingency operations.’’—The National my opinion. Even if there is a short and to work. Military Strategy of the United States. halt in the peace, it will escalate again, I do not think there will be peace in The National Military Strategy of the and I think that is wrong. the Middle East in my lifetime, there United States requires that the U.S. armed May 5, 1999 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H2787 services be prepared to fight and win two the remaining three aircraft that must re- would be hard-pressed to handle a second war major theater wars at the same time they spond to all other commitments around the in the Middle East or Korea. conduct multiple, concurrent smaller-scare world. Gen. Richard Hawley, who heads the Air contingency operations and maintain a pos- EA–6B Prowler. The EA–6B is used to col- Combat Command, told reporters that five ture of global engagement around the world. lect tactical electronic information on weeks of bombing Yugoslavia have left U.S. The sustained reduction in military force enemy forces and to jam enemy radar sys- munition stocks critically short, not just of structure and defense budgets since the end tems. It is also equipped with the HARM air-launched cruise missiles as previously re- of the Cold War has seriously called into anti-radiation missile that is used to destroy ported, but also of another precision weapon, question whether the U.S. military is able to enemy radar systems. The EA–6B is found in the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) execute the national military strategy. Navy, Marine Corps and joint Navy/Air Force dropped by B–2 bombers. So low is the inven- Since 1989, the Army and the Air Force have squadrons. With a total of only 123 in the in- tory of the new satellite-guided weapons, been reduced by 45 percent, the Navy by 36 ventory, nearly 20 are currently deployed to Hawley said, that as the bombing campaign percent and the Marine Corps by 12 percent support operations in Yugoslavia. Combined accelerates, the Air Force risks exhausting while operational commitments around the with the on-going deployments in support of its prewar supply of more than 900 JDAMs world have increased by 300 percent. Operations Northern and Southern Watch in before the next scheduled delivery in May. Strained by the already high pace of day to Iraq and other commitments around the ‘‘It’s going to be really touch-and-go as to day operations, as well as on-going contin- world, the EA–6B fleet is considered by DoD whether we’ll go Winchester on JDAMs,’’ the gency operations in Iraq and Bosnia, the U.S. to be ‘‘fully committed’’ at the present time. four-star general said, using a pilot’s term military now faces a rapidly escalating com- KC–135/KC–10 Aerial Refuelers. Currently for running out of bullets. mitment in Kosovo. Indeed, the build-up of the Air Force has over 50 KC–135 aircraft and On a day the Pentagon announced deploy- aircraft for Operation Allied Force in the approximately 15 KC–10 aircraft supporting ment of an additional 10 giant B–52 bombers Balkans will soon approach the size of the operations in the Balkans. The refueler fleet to NATO’s air battle, Hawley said the con- air fleet required in a major theater war—in is heavily committed on a day-to-day basis tinuing buildup of U.S. aircraft means more essence, Kosovo has become a third major during normal peacetime operations. As a re- air crew shortages in the United States. And theater of war. The U.S. military is already sult, the active Air Force relies heavily on because the Air Force tends to send its most feeling the strain in critical areas: the Guard and Reserve, who fly 56% of the experienced crews, Hawley said, the experi- Aircraft Carriers. The aircraft carrier USS refueling missions for the Air Force. Nor- ence level of units left behind also is falling. Theodore Roosevelt, originally scheduled for mally, the Air Force meets its world-wide With NATO’s latest request for another 300 deployment to the Gulf region, has been as- commitments using volunteers from the U.S. aircraft—on top of 600 already com- signed to the Balkans and arrived on station Guard and Reserve. However, as the oper- mitted—Hawley said the readiness rating of April 5. The gap in the Persian Gulf has been ation intensifies, Air Force will be unable to the remaining fleet will drop quickly and filled by the USS Kitty Hawk, normally sta- meet commitments with volunteers alone. significantly. tioned in the Far East. She arrived in the The pending Presidential Guard and Reserve His grim assessment underscored questions Gulf on April 1, and will be relieved by the call-up is likely to contain a high percentage about the U.S. military’s ability to manage USS Constellation in June. With no carrier of KC–135/KC–10 crews. On April 26, 1999, the a conflict such as the assault on Yugoslavia deployed in the Far East in the foreseeable Secretary of Defense announced that an ad- after reducing and reshaping forces since the future, the Air Force has been compelled to ditional 30 KC–135/KC–10 aircraft and crews, Cold War. U.S. military strategy no longer put its fighter aircraft in the region on high- both active and Reserve, will deploy to the calls for battling another superpower, but it er alert in an effort to partially compensate region. does require the Pentagon to be prepared to for the loss of the carrier-based Navy air- Conventional Air Launched Cruise Missiles flight two major regional wars at about the craft. The Navy has 12 aircraft carriers in (CALCM). Prior to Operation Desert Fox same time. the fleet to cover commitments world-wide. against Iraq in December 1998, the Air Force As the number of U.S. planes involved in With five currently in shipyards and the rest had approximately 250 CALCMs, the non-nu- the conflict over Kosovo approaches the either recently returned from deployment or clear version of the Air Launched Cruise level of a major regional war, the operation just beginning pre-deployment training, Sec- Missile (ALCM) that are launched from U.S. is exposing weaknesses in the availability retary of the Navy Richard Danzig recently bombers. The Air Force fired 90 against Iraq and structure of Air Force as well as Army testified that the service’s carrier fleet is during Operation Desert Fox. In Operation units, engendering fresh doubts about the ‘‘being stretched.’’ Allied Force, 78 have been fired during the military’s overall preparedness for the world Conventional Fighter and Attack Aircraft. first three weeks of operations leaving ap- it now confronts. If another military crisis Including the aircraft aboard the USS Theo- proximately 80 in the inventory. The Con- were to erupt in the Middle East or Asia, dore Roosevelt, and the 82 additional aircraft gress recently approved an emergency re- Hawley said reinforcements are still avail- just approved for deployment, approximately programming of $51.5 million in FY 1999 able, but he added: ‘‘I’d be hard-pressed to 500 total U.S. aircraft are currently involved funding to convert an additional 92 ALCMs give them everything that they would prob- in Operation Allied Force. This includes over to CALCMs. In the White House’s recent ably ask for. There would be some com- 200 fighters and attack aircraft. General emergency supplemental budget request, promises made.’’ Wesley Clark, NATO’s Supreme Allied Com- CALCMs were designated as the Air Force’s The Army’s ability to respond nimbly to mander, recently requested some 300 addi- number one shortfall. foreign hot spots also has been put in ques- tional U.S. aircraft in order to intensify the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile (TLAM). tion by the month it has taken to deploy two air campaign. If approved, it will bring the The TLAM has become the Administration’s dozen AH–64A Apache helicopters to Albania. total number of U.S. aircraft in the region to weapon of choice to strike heavily defended While Army officials insist the helicopter 800. In addition, the European Command re- or high value targets while posing no risk to task force moved faster than any other coun- cently removed 10 F–15 fighters and 3 EA–6B American pilots. During Operation Desert try could have managed, the experience ap- Prowler electronic warfare aircraft from Fox strikes against Iraq, 330 TLAMs were peared to highlight a gap between the Penta- Incirlik Air Base in Turkey and deployed fired from Navy ships. To date, approxi- gon’s talk about becoming a more expedi- them in Aviano Air Base in Italy. Press re- mately 178 additional TLAMs have been fired tionary force and the reality of deploying ports indicate that in an April 1, 1999, meet- against targets in Yugoslavia. The type of soldiers. ing, the Joint Chiefs of Staff expressed con- TLAM that is being depleted most rapidly, Massing forces for a ground invasion of cern that General Clark’s growing require- the Block IIIC model, is the most advanced Yugoslavia, officials said, would require two ments for aircraft and other equipment will and therefore the most in demand by mili- or three months. Because U.S. military plan- mean higher risks in other hot spots around tary commanders. Further, the U.S. shut ners never figured on fighting a ground war the world. down the last remaining TLAM production in Europe following the Soviet Union’s de- F–117 Fighters. The Air Force has deployed line in fiscal year 1998 and production of the mise, little Army heavy equipment is 24 F–117 aircraft to the Balkans to support follow-on missile system is not planned until prepositioned near the Balkans. Nor are Operation Allied Force. Because of their fiscal year 2003. The White House’s emer- there Army units that would seem especially stealth capabilities, F–117s are in high de- gency supplemental appropriations bill iden- designed for the job of getting to the Bal- mand for the type of operations currently tified TLAM shortfalls as an urgent priority, kans quickly with enough firepower and being conducted over Yugoslavia. However, and included funds to convert older cruise armor to attack dug-in Yugoslav forces over the United States has a total of only 59 F– missiles to the more advanced Block IIIC mountainous terrain. 117s to cover all requirements world-wide. model. ‘‘What we need is something between our Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar light and heavy forces, that can get some- [From the Washington Post, Apr. 30, 1999] System (Joint STARS). JSTARS is a modi- where fast but with more punch,’’ a senior fied Boeing 707 aircraft equipped with a long- HEAD OF U.S. AIR COMMAND WARNS OF Army official said. range air-to-ground surveillance system de- STRAINED FORCES—GENERAL SAYS WAR Yugoslav forces have shown themselves signed to locate, classify and track ground STRETCHES U.S. FORCES more of a match for U.S. and allied air power targets in all weather conditions. Currently, (By Bradley Graham) than NATO commanders had anticipated. the United States has just five JSTARS in The general who oversees U.S. combat air- The Serb-led Yugoslav army has adopted a the inventory. Two are supporting oper- craft said yesterday the Air Force has been duck-and-hide strategy, husbanding air de- ations in the Balkans, placing a strain on sorely strained by the Kosovo conflict and fense radars and squirreling away tanks, H2788 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE May 5, 1999 confounding NATO’s attempts to gain the But Hawley’s remarks suggested that the care, for private health care coverage. freedom for low-level attacks to whittle growing scale and uncertain duration of the Medicare beneficiaries could use this down field units. Yugoslav units also have air operation against Yugoslavia threaten to voucher to buy into the fee-for-service shown considerable resourcefulness, recon- undo whatever progress the Air Force has plan sponsored by the Federal Govern- stituting damaged communication links and made in shoring up readiness. Whenever the finding alternative routes around destroyed airstrikes end, he said, the Air Force will re- ment, or could join a private plan. bridges, roads and rail links. quire ‘‘a reconstitution period’’ to put many To encourage consumer price sensi- ‘‘They’ve employed a rope-a-dope strat- of its units back in order. tivity, the voucher would track to the egy,’’ said Barry Posen, a political science ‘‘We are going to be in desperate need, in lowest cost private plan. Ostensibly, professor at the Massachusetts Institute of my command, of a significant retrenchment seniors would shop for the plan that Technology. ‘‘Conserve assets, hang back, in commitments for a significant period of best suits their needs, paying the bal- take the punches and hope over time that time,’’ he said. ‘‘I think we have a real prob- NATO makes some kind of mistake that can ance of the premium or paying extra if lem facing us three, four, five months down they want higher quality. The proposal be exploited.’’ the road in the readiness of the stateside Hawley disputed suggestions that the as- units.’’ would create a system of health cov- sault on Yugoslavia has represented an air erage, but it would abandon Medicare’s power failure, saying the full potential of f fundamental principle, its fundamental airstrikes has been constrained by political MEDICARE MUST NOT BE principle of egalitarianism. limits on targeting. Today the Medicare program is in- ‘‘In our Air Force doctrine, air power PRIVATIZED come-blind. All seniors have access to works best when it is used decisively,’’ the The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. general said. ‘‘Clearly, because of the con- the same level of care. The idea that ISAKSON). Under the Speaker’s an- straints, we haven’t been able to see that at vouchers would empower seniors to this point.’’ nounced policy of January 6, 1999, the choose a health plan that best suits NATO’s decision not to employ ground gentleman from Ohio (Mr. BROWN) is their needs is simply a myth. The re- forces, he added, also has served to undercut recognized for 60 minutes as the des- ality is that seniors will be forced to the air campaign. He noted that combat ignee of the minority leader. planes such as the A–10 Warthog tank killer accept whatever plan they can afford. Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I The goal of the Medicare Commission often rely on forward ground controllers to am joined tonight by my friends, the call in strikes. was to ensure the program’s long-term ‘‘When you don’t have that synergy, things gentleman from Florida (Mr. DEUTSCH), solvency. The premium support pro- take longer and they’re harder, and that’s the gentleman from Texas (Mr. GREEN), posal will not do that. Supporters of what you’re seeing in this conflict,’’ the gen- the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. the voucher plan say it could shave 1 eral said. PALLONE). percent per year from the Medicare At the same time, Hawley, who is due to For the next hour we are going to budget over the next few decades. That retire in June, insisted the course of the bat- talk about efforts that the majority tle so far has not prompted any rethinking is still not enough to prevent insol- about U.S. military doctrine or tactics, nor party has tried to improve Medicare in vency, and it is surely based on much has it caused any second thoughts about this system, perhaps the single best too optimistic projections of private plans for the costly development of two new government program of our lifetime, sector performance. fighter jets, the F–22 and Joint Strike Fight- that has brought half the population in Bruce Vladeck, a former adminis- er. Despite the apparent success U.S. planes this country, really has provided trator of the Medicare program and the have demonstrated in overcoming Yugo- health care for half the senior popu- Medicare Commission, a bipartisan slavia’s air defense network, Hawley said the lation. next generation of warplanes is necessary be- Commission Member, doubted the cause future adversaries would be equipped In 1965 when Medicare was created, Commission plan would save the Fed- with more advanced anti-aircraft missiles only about half of America’s elderly eral Government $1. That same pro- and combat aircraft than the Yugoslavs. had health insurance. Today 99-plus posal under a legislative plan, under a If the air operation has highlighted any percent of America’s elderly do. legislative title, will not succeed, ei- weaknesses in U.S. combat strength, Hawley Mr. Speaker, many in Congress have ther. said, it has been in what he termed a des- been on a campaign to scare America’s Efforts to privatize Medicare are, of perate shortage of aircraft for intelligence- seniors into believing that Medicare is gathering, radar suppression and search-and- course, nothing new. Medicare bene- rescue missions. While additional planes and going bankrupt. They say that Medi- ficiaries have long been able to enroll unmanned aircraft to meet this shortfall are care must be improved in order to save in private managed care plans. Their on order or under development, Hawley said it. Once again, Medicare privatizers are experience, however, does not bode well it will take ‘‘a long time’’ to field them. wrong. The Trustees of the Medicare for a full-fledged privatization effort. In the meantime, he argued, the United Trust Fund have just reported that These managed care plans are already States must start reducing overseas military Medicare will remain solvent through calling for higher government pay- commitments. He suggested some foreign op- the year 2015, up from its earlier pro- erations have been allowed to go on too long, ments. They are dropping out of un- noting that the U.S. military presence in jection just a year ago of 2008. profitable markets, and they are cut- Korea has lasted more than 50 years, and Republicans in Congress, the Wash- ting back on benefits to senior citizens. U.S. warplanes have remained stationed in ington, D.C. think tanks, and their Managed care plans obviously are Saudi Arabia and Turkey, flying patrols over media supporters who want to privatize profit-driven, and they simply do not Iraq, for more than eight years. Medicare are wringing their hands over tough it out when those profits are not ‘‘I would argue we cannot continue to ac- the Trustees’ latest report. They be- realized. We learned this the hard way cumulate contingencies,’’ he said. ‘‘At some lieve these new projections will lead point you’ve got to figure out how to get out last year when 96 Medicare HMOs of something.’’ Congress to do nothing toward reform- unceremoniously dropped 400,000 Medi- The Air Force blames a four-fold jump in ing social security and Medicare. With care beneficiaries because the HMOs overseas operations this decade, coming the programs projected to last longer, did not meet their profit objectives. after years of budget cuts and troop reduc- they tell us we cannot rest on our lau- Before the Medicare program was tions, for contributing to an erosion of mili- rels. launched in 1965, more than one-half of tary morale, equipment and training. The The real threat to Medicare, how- the Nation’s seniors were uninsured. Air Force has tried various fixes in recent ever, is not its alleged pending bank- Private insurance was the only option years to stanch an exodus of pilots and other airmen in some critical specialties. ruptcy. The real threat is a proposal for the elderly. But these insurers did It has boosted bonuses, cut back on time- just rejected by the National Medicare not want senior citizens to join their consuming training exercises and tried to Commission to privatize Medicare and plans because they knew that seniors limit deployment periods. It also has re- to deliver it to the private insurance use their coverage. The private insur- quested and received hundreds of millions of market. ance market surely has changed con- dollars in extra funds for spare parts. Under a proposal soon to be intro- siderably since then, but it still avoids Additionally, it announced plans last Au- duced called premium support, Medi- gust to reorganize more than 2,000 warplanes high-risk enrollees and, whenever pos- and support aircraft into 10 ‘‘expeditionary’’ care would no longer pay directly for sible, dodges the bill for high-cost med- groups that would rotate responsibility for health care services. Instead, it would ical services. deployments to such longstanding trouble provide each senior with a voucher The problem is not necessarily mal- zones as Iraq and Bosnia. good for part of the premium for health ice or greed, it is the expectation that