Bill Clinton: “We agree. And we don't think taking care of your beautiful, young daughter should keep you from ever taking a better…”

“We agree. And we don't think taking care of your beautiful, young daughter should keep you from ever taking a better job, either. The bottom line on this is that if we change the rules so that no one can be denied insurance coverage because of a preexisting condition, we also have to change the system so that no business goes broke for giving that insurance coverage. In other words, we can't afford to cut off our nose to spite our face. We have to make it possible. So again, what we hope to do is to give you the protection of knowing you can always have health insurance; that if you change your jobs, you'll be able to get it; that no one will be able to turn you down; but that your employer won't go broke, either, because they will be in these large pools so that the risk will be fairly spread across a significant percentage of the American citizenry. And it seems so simple. You must wonder why it hasn't been done before. But it's wrong not to do. And probably this and the cost issue will probably affect more Americans than any other single issue because a lot of you, even who have talked about other problems, are indirectly affected by this whole job lock issue. Also, it affects everybody in all kinds of different ways. So we must do this. We must do this. And let me also say that it's bad for the American economy. Every healthy person in America is disadvantaged if you two can't take a better job. Because when Americans with talents and gifts can't fulfill their God-given abilities to the maximum extent, then that makes our whole economy less productive, less competitive. It hurts everybody. So it's not just all the people who have your life stories. All the rest of us are really disadvantaged if you get locked into a job. Also, somebody coming along behind you who would get that job, and that's a better job than they have, those folks are disadvantaged, too. Let me just say in introducing the last set of letters that there are a lot of people in this system who are very frustrated by the incredible bureaucracy of the American system. It is the most bureaucratic health care system in the world of all the advanced countries. The expense is staggering. It probably costs at least a dime on the dollar more in sheer paperwork than all competing systems. That not only has financial consequences; it has terrible personal consequences. We've found some people here who have been lost in that maze, and I wanted you to hear their stories. So let me ask now James Heffernan from Florida--I'm going to try to pronounce this right--Carol Oedegeest--close enough?--from California to read their letters, and the Vice President will respond. [The participants read their letters and Vice President Gore responded.]”