Bob Wise: “when you and I go into Wal-Mart, we are looking for markdowns. But I ask, ``How would you feel knowing, when you walk…”

“when you and I go into Wal-Mart, we are looking for markdowns. But I ask, ``How would you feel knowing, when you walk in, you're getting a markup of 30 percent on our health insurance because of the way that a company like Wal-Mart does business?'' Mr. Speaker, this is one of our largest private employers, but yet, out of its half-million employees, leaves almost 250,000 without health insurance. What that means, according to one group, is that $480 million of Wal-Mart's health care costs get shifted to the rest of us who are able to have health insurance. And how does that affect us? It is because 30 percent of every insurance premium in this country which my colleagues and I pay goes to pay for those who do not have health care. The 85 percent who are uninsured in this country are working at institutions like Wal-Mart. For those who are insured at Wal-Mart there is a high out-of-pocket cost which is hard for those making $6 and $7 an hour, and yet Wal-Mart disavows the Clinton health plan that would lower Wal-Mart's health care costs and its employees' health care costs while providing comprehensive guaranteed private insurance for all. So, Mr. Speaker, I challenge Wal-Mart to help Wal-Mart workers and Wal-Mart consumers for a health plan, to support a health plan, that has lower costs, that does not shift the costs to us consumers, and that is the best way to truly have a discount store offer discounts without marking up our health insurance.”