J. Thurmond: “I rise today because this body stands on the threshold of what promises to be a historic debate concerning health care.…”

“I rise today because this body stands on the threshold of what promises to be a historic debate concerning health care. While it is generally recognized that our health care system is in need of reform, we are nevertheless a long way from consensus as to what to do. The public will be watching Congress closely; therefore, we must make sure that whatever changes occur in our health care system are for the better. Our constituents expect a lot. In that regard, Mr. President, I want to take a few minutes to focus this body on one critical aspect of health care: Workers' compensation. As a member of the Committee on Labor and Human Resources, this topic will be of prime importance to me and, I hope, to many of you as health care reform proceeds. Workers' compensation was created over 80 years ago and is the result of a commonsense compact between business and labor. If a worker is injured on the job, all of his or her medical expenses are covered, and disability payments, in lieu of paychecks, are made until the worker returns to the job.”