On the recordJanuary 19, 2011
Many Members on the Democratic side of the aisle, when we were considering health care reform, wanted a public option where the Federal Government would run it. It would ultimately save hundreds of billions of dollars more and, in fact, it would not be subject to the profit incentive of private insurance companies, but we decided ultimately not to do that. What we did is to decide to model our health care reform after the Federal Employees Health Benefits Plan, where private insurance firms provide the coverage; you sign up for it; you have competition. We have competition now nationally and within the States in this plan, but it's modeled after what we ourselves provided for ourselves as Members of Congress. Now the majority of the Members of Congress, both Democratic and Republican, have this plan for themselves. We just had a recommittal motion where we had the opportunity to say, if you vote against this plan for your constituents, then you ought to decline it for yourselves. A vast majority of Members took it for themselves but declined to provide it for their constituents. That's hypocrisy, Mr. Speaker.
