Pete Stark: “a number of Members are proposing that all individual Americans be mandated to purchase a basic health insurance policy…”

“a number of Members are proposing that all individual Americans be mandated to purchase a basic health insurance policy, with no help from their employers and no clear, defined help from the Government. I have a modest proposal to expand this great idea, because it is clear that with individual mandates, we can legislate all our troubles away. The national median income of a family headed by a woman with no husband present is about $17,200, and for married couples it is about $42,000. Members who would impose an individual health mandate are saying that these family units should buy a health policy that will cost somewhere between $2,000 and $3,000. Obviously, if families obey this mandate, many of them--particularly households headed by a single woman--will have to cut back on some other spending. While most people in this country do operate under the theory of rugged individualism, it will probably not be enough to make any of these individual mandate plans work. If they have to pay for health care, they won't be able to buy food for their children. That means more money for public assistance programs to help feed the hungry. Or, we can just mandate that every one feed their children. If they have to pay for health insurance and food, they won't be able to pay the rent. That means an even greater homeless problem. But it can be fixed. We just mandate that everybody has to find a place to live and pay their rent. Maybe we even force them to clean their rooms.…”