Gilbert Gutknecht: “I cannot really understand why these people are so opposed to this bill. In fact, we heard our colleague from New Jersey…”

“I cannot really understand why these people are so opposed to this bill. In fact, we heard our colleague from New Jersey just a few moments ago say that this would not work. I have to ask, what are we afraid of? What is wrong with allowing 100 percent deductibility for health insurance for the self-employed? I mean, as far as I am concerned, this Congress should have done that a long time ago. Look at the other provisions in this bill. Now, I must tell my colleagues that I am not a big fan of some of these omnibus bills and putting a lot of things that may not be related into the same bills. But the truth of the matter is, as I look through the provisions of this bill, virtually every one of them is going to benefit somebody. Now, we do not have many HMOs in my district. I would like to have HMOs. I would like to give people more choices. Now, we can argue whether too much went to this particular group and too much went to the other. There is no such thing as a perfect balance. But I think, on balance, this is a very good bill. This does a lot of things for an awful lot of people. I think the hospitals, the nursing homes, the people back in my district are going to be very happy with this bill.”