Foley Says Administration May Be Rushing Health Care Package
The Clinton Administration may be rushing to produce a health care reform package that could be tough to sell to Congress and the American public, House Speaker Thomas S. Foley (D-Wash.) said Monday.
“I’m troubled because the country is not ready for the challenge of providing the kind of coverage that we want to do to ensure universality,” Foley said at the annual meeting of the Associated Press.
Clinton’s goal is to tame skyrocketing health care costs in the long term while extending coverage to 36 million uninsured Americans. The legislative package is expected to require higher taxes to cover the initial added costs.
The President said his plans to fix the economy depend on Congress passing the health care package this year. Foley said, however, that it would be unwise to set deadlines for producing such a complex measure.
“I think it’s more important to get it right than to get it on time,” said Foley, adding that he was worried the Administration “may be pushing it a bit.”
Meanwhile, the White House announced that nearly four dozen doctors, nurses and other health professionals have been selected to review plans for remodeling the nation’s health care system.
The outside critique is one of the last steps before the unveiling of the plan by the end of May.
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