Porter Goss: “the great health care derby of 1994 is officially underway. This week the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health will…”

“the great health care derby of 1994 is officially underway. This week the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health will begin formal consideration of the so-called Stark bill, which media handicappers list as an unexpected early leader in the race to health reform. The frontrunner is not the much-ballyhooed one-time favorite known as Clinton health, But a no-name, dark horse bill which appeared from nowhere and is now judged to lead the pack. In fact, Mr. speaker, so new to the field is the proposal being offered by the gentleman from California [Mr. Stark] that Members who are considering the bill are not even sure how much it is going to cost unless they read the New York Times this morning, and I am not even sure the New York Times has the answer. I certainly do not. Most of the rest of us have not had a chance to see this bill, an opportunity to read the language. Is this the right way to start what is going to be the most consequential domestic policy debated in our time? Mr. Speaker, health care reform involves nearly $1 out of every $7 spent in our economy, as we all know and comprehensive reform will literally affect each and every American in their daily lives. We ought to know what are doing.”