Don Nickles: “I will make two or three comments. First, I compliment and congratulate Senator Kennedy and Senator Gregg for their…”

“I will make two or three comments. First, I compliment and congratulate Senator Kennedy and Senator Gregg for their patience and leadership in managing this bill and also managing the education bill. Also, I congratulate Senator McCain and Senator Edwards for their contribution because they are going to pass a bill, and Senator Daschle, as well. This has been a battle that some have been wrestling with for a long time. As a matter of fact, a year ago we passed legislation that was called Patients' Bill of Rights Plus. In my opinion, it is far superior to the legislation we are getting ready to pass tonight. It was legislation that allowed every plan to have an appeal, internal and external, and it was binding --not binding by lawsuits, but if you did not comply with external appeal, you could be fined $10,000 a day--a different approach. I think it is far superior. In looking at the language we have today and in the underlying bill, the so-called McCain-Edwards-Kennedy bill, maybe some modest improvements have been made. It is the bill that will finally pass, but it is a bill that the President will not sign and the President shouldn't sign. I hope we will pass good legislation but not pass legislation that will dramatically increase health care costs, as I am afraid it will. There has to be some reason that employers that voluntarily supply health care, purchase health care for their employees, that employers of all sizes are almost unanimous in their opposition.”