Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007
FAIR MINIMUM WAGE ACT OF 2007 -- (Senate - January 25, 2007)
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Mr. DURBIN. Most of the analyses of health benefit accounts say they primarily benefit people who are healthy and wealthy, and it seems to me the challenge for health insurance in America is for those in the lower income categories, and particularly those who may be vulnerable from a health situation. It seems putting more money into a plan that helps people who are doing fairly well in comparison to others is not the right investment at this moment.
I wonder if the Senator from Michigan agrees with that.
Ms. STABENOW. I absolutely agree with our distinguished assistant majority leader. Let me say I indicated a moment ago that he has a better proposal himself, and Senator Lincoln. We know for the majority of people who are not insured, 80 percent of those who are uninsured work for small businesses. I am very excited about the approach that the Senator has proposed in terms of a national pool and a tax credit to help fund it. I think we all are very committed to expanding health care coverage and to doing it the right way.
Mr. DURBIN. If the Senator from Michigan will yield on that point, Senator Lincoln and I and many others have introduced a bill to help small businesses buy the same kind of health insurance that is available to Members of Congress. If it is good enough for us, it is good enough for America. Some 250 private insurance companies across America sell insurance to Federal employees and to Members of Congress. What we want to do is make that insurance available to small businesses. The $8 billion in this bill could be used to help small businesses pay for the health insurance premiums of lower income employees. Instead of focusing on the healthy and wealthy, we would be focusing on businesses that want to do the right thing and need a helping hand from the Tax Code.
I ask the Senator from Michigan, if we are going to invest money to try to deal with 48 million uninsured and underinsured Americans, wouldn't it be better to expand opportunities for small business than to focus on those among us who are already pretty well off?
Ms. STABENOW. I thank my friend. I couldn't agree more. I think he very eloquently stated what is in front of us. We have 8 billion precious dollars in the middle of a deficit, and we have to be very strategic about where we put our dollars. The proposal for small business pooling is similar to what we receive. I think that is the least we can do for small business, particularly when we know that 80 percent of the people who do not have health insurance are in small businesses.
I thank my colleague. I know colleagues on both sides of the aisle want very much to address this issue of health care. It is a question of how we do it.
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