Henry Waxman

Mr. WAXMAN

Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased at this time to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone), the chairman of the Health Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the chairman of the House Budget Committee, the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Spratt).

Mr. WAXMAN. I yield the gentleman an additional 1 minute.

Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased at this time to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel), an important member of our committee.

Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased at this time to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Sarbanes), a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee and the Health Subcommittee.

Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute. I want to point out to my colleagues while we're blaming each other on a partisan basis that the reason we got into this situation is in 1997 with a Republican Congress and a Democratic President, there was a so-called balanced budget proposal adopted, and the way it was funded for tax cuts was to make future cuts in Medicare, especially in the physician payment side. We are paying the price of that poorly thought- through approach, which was the reason I voted against that bill in 1997. The gentleman from Texas made some points about the situation we're in. What he did not point out is that this bill is part of a comprehensive improvement in our health care system. It would reward primary care. It would provide for accountability care organizations, which would be a better delivery mechanism. This ought to be looked at in a more comprehensive way. That's why I'm pleased to support this bill today and the health care reform bill that the House passed a week or so ago, and we hope to complete our actions with the Senate later this year. Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the Ways and Means Committee chairman, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel), and I ask unanimous consent that he be allowed to control that time.

Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 3961.

Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve a point of order.

Mr. WAXMAN. I object.

Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 7 of House rule XVI, matters within the motion to recommit are not germane to the underlying bill, and I insist on my point of order.

Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I don't believe the gentleman's argument is pertinent to the point of order. I insist on my point of order.

Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I insist on my point of order.

Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to table the appeal of the ruling of the Chair.

Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the motion to recommit.

Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker and my colleagues, this motion to recommit proposes to spend $22.3 billion for a $210 billion problem. It simply postpones the problem. It is the same old kicking the can down the road. There are no guarantees of cuts when this money runs out. The gentleman from Virginia says his proposal would mean no cuts for 2 years. I am not convinced of that 2-year period. But whatever period of time it would allow for, there would be another cliff, and that is why the American Medical Association wrote to the Honorable Dave Camp, ranking member of the Ways and Means Committee, that they oppose anything short of permanent reform. They want us to deal with this problem now and not just kick it down the road. The AMA does not support any motion to recommit that would have a temporary fix. I want to yield at this time to the gentleman from California (Mr. Stark).

Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Boyd).

Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote on the motion to recommit and an ``aye'' vote on the underlying bill, and I yield back the balance of my time. Parliamentary Inquiries

Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. WAXMAN

Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 903, I call up the bill (H.R. 3962) to provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce the growth in health care spending, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to start off the debate by recognizing our very distinguished majority leader, Steny Hoyer from the State of Maryland, for 1 minute.

Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased at this time to yield 3 minutes to the majority whip of the House of Representatives, Mr. Clyburn.

Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, at this time I am very pleased to recognize and to yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro).

Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased now to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson), the chairman of the Democratic Caucus.

Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased at this time to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from the State of Maryland, Mr. Chris Van Hollen.