Health Care in America

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD
SENATE
Sept. 14, 2004
HEALTH CARE IN AMERICA

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, yesterday President Bush went to Battle Creek, MI. The purpose of his visit, of course, was in preparation for the election but also to raise a critical issue, and the issue is the same one we have discussed this morning: health care in America. President Bush was outspoken in attacking Senator John Kerry for having the nerve to suggest we need to change health care in America.

In criticizing John Kerry, President Bush, quoting from the morning newspaper, said John Kerry's proposal would be ultimately a Government takeover of medicine. It would be a massive, complicated blueprint to have our Government take over decisionmaking in health care. Bureaucrats would become the decisionmakers.

Once again, the Republican Party and President Bush wave the bloody shirt that if anyone suggests a change in the health care system in America today that they are calling for socialism and more bureaucracy.

What the President refuses to acknowledge and what the leadership on the Republican side of the Senate refuses to acknowledge is the health care system in America is in crisis. Since this President took office, census figures show 3.8 million more Americans are uninsured. In addition, the Kaiser Family Foundation study released last week said families are paying on average $1,000 more out of pocket for health coverage this year than in the year before the President was elected.

It tells us that health care is becoming more expensive, more exclusive, and, frankly, that the average working family doesn't have a fighting chance under this system. What is the response on the Republican side of the aisle? What is the response from President Bush? More of the same. Don't rock the boat. We cannot say anything negative when it comes to the enormous profits that are being garnered by the drug companies and the HMOs.

But families and businesses across America understand the reality of health care today. When the Republican leader comes to the floor of the Senate and announces that we don't have time in the remaining weeks of the session to consider the issue of reimporting drugs from Canada or other countries, what he has basically said to thousands of seniors and families across America is that we are going to protect American drug companies and their profits at any cost. That is what has happened with our own prescription drug plan for seniors, and it is what is happening for the agenda for the Senate.

Look at what happened to premiums across America. On this chart is a trendline. I don't have to go year by year. Ask any employer in America what has happened to health insurance premiums and they will tell you that every year it is more expensive. I go around Illinois and meet with good, solid, God-fearing Republican businessmen who tell me: Senator, we cannot take it anymore. There is no way we can deal with these annual increases in health insurance. What are you doing in Washington about this? The honest answer is, under the Bush administration and the Republican-controlled Congress, absolutely nothing. So what do these businesses do? They will tell you over and over again they have no choice. How big an obstacle is health care cost in hiring new employees? And 78 percent say it is an obstacle. They cannot hire a new person because the cost of health insurance is so high.

What about the health insurance companies, the HMOs? How are they faring as these health insurance premiums go up? Do the premium increases just reflect the fact that it costs more to provide health care? Look at their profit margins. HMO profits from 2002 to 2003 went from $5.5 billion to almost double that amount, $10.2 billion.

You ask yourself, why is the President criticizing John Kerry for bringing up meaningful health care reform to help working families and help small businesses and large businesses as well? Because the HMOs don't want anybody to rock the boat. The Bush administration, whether they are dealing with the drug companies or HMOs, is going to protect their profit margins, even at the expense of adequate health care for Americans.

When you take a look at what John Kerry proposed, I don't believe it is radical. Would you be in favor of reducing the tax cuts for people making over $200,000 a year and taking that money and expanding the coverage of health insurance in America? Is that a radical idea? No, that is a commonsense idea. People making over $200,000 a year are not going to miss that tiny tax cut as a percentage of their income. But when you put that money together, you are able to address some of the serious problems facing us.

I believe President Bush forgot the obvious. Average working people cannot keep up with the cost of health insurance and health care in America. His administration has done nothing, absolutely nothing, to deal with it. What do they do when John Kerry comes forward and says it is time for us to have a bipartisan discussion on bringing the costs of health care under control and expanding coverage? President Bush goes to Battle Creek, MI, and accuses him of socialized medicine, huge bureaucracies. He says, "A Government takeover of medicine." Those days have passed.

It has been over 10 years since the Congress and the Government in Washington have had a serious conversation about the cost of health insurance. In that period of time, the private sector has been in charge. The private sector has done to health care what you would expect them to do. They have raised the cost and reduced the risk. So every year you find your health care premiums going up and coverage going down while their profits go through the roof. If you want 4 more years of the same, you will have a chance to vote for it on November 2.

Also, consider that Congress-this Chamber, the Senate, and across the rotunda in the House-has failed to meet our responsibilities under Republican leadership. When we have the Republican leader come before us today and say we don't have time to deal with the reimportation of drugs before we adjourn for a recess this year, trust me, if the Republicans continue in control of this Chamber, there will be another excuse next year.

Despite the best efforts of Senator Daschle, Senator Dorgan, Senator Kennedy, and so many others, we are not going to have an opportunity to help people across America deal with the soaring costs of health care until there is a change in leadership and attitude. It is time for business and labor, Republicans and Democrats, to come together to face this health care issue and to do it in a bipartisan fashion. We can do it, but we need a change of leadership to achieve it.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.