Cliff Stearns: “those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it, so goes the saying, a careful reminder to all of us that history…”

“those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it, so goes the saying, a careful reminder to all of us that history teaches us valuable lessons and that, if we learn from the past, we can avoid repeating the mistakes in the future. Yet despite this very warning, President Clinton and congressional Democrats are plotting a course plagued by controversy and opposition. The past few weeks have been strikingly reminiscent of President Clinton's first try at a nationalized Government-run health care system. The newspaper headlines of late are uncomfortably familiar. In fact, it is deja vu all over again. Recently in Florida, my home State, President Clinton announced the formation of a comprehensive commission charged with reviewing the health care system and making recommendations on how to improve the quality of care provided to patients and how to put in place more consumer protections. Does that sound familiar? Then he endorsed the notion of mandating what types of benefits health plans should provide and cover. Perhaps that sounds familiar. He then endorsed the notion that the Federal Government should get in the middle of the contract negotiations between private health care plans and private physicians. Of course that sounds familiar. The President is clearly headed down a road we have all traveled together before.”