Cliff Stearns: “In 1994, the then House majority leader, the gentleman from Missouri, Dick Gephardt, thought MSA's, medical savings…”

“In 1994, the then House majority leader, the gentleman from Missouri, Dick Gephardt, thought MSA's, medical savings accounts, were such a good idea that he included them in the Democrat leadership bill. In 1994, all but one Democrat on the House Committee on Ways and Means voted in favor of medical savings accounts in the Clinton health care reform plan. So I think the gentleman from New Jersey, Mr. Pallone, and others on the Democrat side who complain about medical savings accounts should realize that their leadership, not only in the House but in the Senate, when the Medical Cost Containment Act of 1992 was--which included medical savings accounts--presented to the Senate, even Tom Daschle, was there sponsoring it. So, Mr. Speaker, I think it is appropriate that I talk about medical savings accounts this morning. We have heard a great deal from that side of the aisle, talk about how they are tax breaks for the rich, which is absolutely false, and I think we have all these Democrat leaders who have supported it, so I think the bottom line is, it is good for America. They were based upon the premise that the consumer, in this case the purchaser of health care, should have control over their health care dollars.”