Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I want to build on some earlier remarks I made tonight marking the introduction of H.R. 3950, the GI bill of health. As I indicated, it is a measure authorizing the Department of Veterans Affairs to begin to receive third-party health insurance reimbursements, as well as to incorporate concepts of innovative managed care principles which could provide for increased medical care options for eligible veterans and their dependents. I indicated that we have seen up to $1 billion in increases in annual veterans affairs medical care funding in the last 2 years. At the same time, just in the past 2 weeks we have seen the passage in this Chamber of H.R. 3118, the Veterans Health Care Eligibility Reform Act of 1996, designed to simplify the very complex eligibility rules of the veterans affairs eligibility system; and just within the past day the passage of H.R. 3103, the Health Coverage Availability and Affordability Act, which is designed to improve access to health insurance for all Americans. What do these three facts have in common? They have in common the fact that we are attempting as a Congress to deal with health care issues through existing health care delivery systems, by finding ways to deliver medical care in a more efficient, more practical, more cost effective fashion.”