Health Care

HEALTH CARE

Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, I have always believed health care policy needs to be bipartisan, and needs to be ideas driven. So as we talk about health care, I come to the floor to mention an idea our colleague Senator Kerry has talked about which I think is especially promising for small business.

The reality is, a very high percentage of the uninsured work in small businesses. These small businesses are dying to cover their people. The owners of those small businesses do not get up in the morning and say: We want to be rotten to our workers in not giving coverage. They are dying to figure out ways to help their small businesses.

Senator Kerry has come up with an idea that I think is really innovative. He has said, given the fact resources are scarce, that dollars for trying to address the uninsured, the needs of our small businesses, are restricted, we ought to target those dollars where they are needed the most. He has proposed the Federal Government, with respect to small business, concentrate on instances where there are very large bills, bills above $50,000. He would have the Federal Government step in and pick up about 75 percent of those costs. The premiums that would be charged employers and their workers could be trimmed about 10 percent in this fashion.

We know it has been documented that those who are particularly in need of assistance when they face these very high bills are a very large proportion of the health care costs in America. These health care costs are particularly punitive for the small businesses. Small businesses are always walking on economic tightropes. If one employee at a small business gets sick, this can devastate the entire budget of the company for not just health care coverage but the entire coverage of the business.

I am very pleased Senator Kerry has brought forward this idea. I think it is one that can be supported in a bipartisan way. The Congress, over the years, has tried to look at ways to strengthen the employer-based system of coverage. I think we all understand if you are talking about starting scores of new programs, that would be very difficult at this time. I also do not think it is warranted at a time when we are spending $1.7 trillion on health care. If you divide that up by 270 million Americans, it comes to more than $17,000 for a family of 4. So we are spending a lot of money.

The challenge now is to really zero in on areas where the Government can be best utilized. I think Senator Kerry's proposal with respect to trying to deal with the costs of individuals who work at small businesses with very high bills is particularly appropriate at this time. It is something I think could be built in a bipartisan way.

I will have more to say about this and other proposals in the days ahead. But as we come to the floor and talk-Democrats and Republicans-about health care, I think we ought to make our policies bipartisan. We ought to make them ideas driven. The kind of idea that has been outlined by Senator Kerry with respect to the needs of individuals who work at small businesses with very large bills is the kind of thinking that would make a difference now. It is cost effective. I think it warrants support on a bipartisan basis.

With that, Mr. President, I yield the floor.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Who seeks recognition?

Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.