Jack Kingston: “Let us talk about this because I think it is very important, as we explore welfare reform for the third time, and…”

“Let us talk about this because I think it is very important, as we explore welfare reform for the third time, and hopefully, maybe because it is an election year, the President will vote for it this time, but as we get into the health care benefit and the portion of welfare and State grants and so forth, I think it is important to know we have worked on health care reform for American middle-class families. We have tried to make it more affordable and more accessible through the portability clauses and eliminate the preexisting-illness conditions of the policies so that middle-class Americans can take their health care with them and not be held hostage to the insurance company or have a job loss. The other thing, which I know the two of you have supported, is medical savings accounts. Today I presented to the Speaker and to Denny Hastert and the health care conferees a letter signed by 162 Members, bipartisan Members, of this Chamber asking that conferees keep the medical savings accounts in the health care reform; medical savings accounts, basically a high-deductible plan that allows consumers to pay for their own first-dollar health care expenses like stitches, x rays, routine checkups, and so forth, but they get to save the money, they get to pocket what they have saved from the deductible, use it for long-term health care or use it for a college education account or, you know, use it for Christmas money or whatever they want.”