Congress May Push Through Bare-Bones Health Package

The Senate’s Democratic and Republican leaders said Sunday that they would try to get a pared-down health care reform bill approved by Congress before adjournment for the November elections.

“It will clearly be less sweeping than I would prefer, but I think there’s a lot that can be done that represents good progress in health care in our country,” Senate Majority Leader George J. Mitchell (D-Me.) said on CBS-TV’s “Face the Nation.”

Minority Leader Bob Dole (R-Kan.) said a “bare-bones” package that would provide coverage to those with pre-existing conditions or those making job changes would have a chance of passage before the 103rd Congress quits for the year in early October.

“My view is that Republicans should not be perceived as--and are not at this time--a negative force in this debate,” Dole said on the CBS program. He said the public would support only “very targeted, modest reforms” for now.

Major health care bills remain stalled in both the Senate and House because of a lack of consensus on how or whether to overhaul the nation’s medical system. The stalemate is a major defeat for President Clinton’s efforts to achieve comprehensive changes.

Now, with only about four weeks remaining before Congress adjourns to allow lawmakers to campaign before the Nov. 8 midterm elections, major health care legislation is dead for this year.

Dole proposed that bipartisan leaders in both houses try to agree on a bill making relatively minor changes in health insurance.

“There are about 20 areas where we have pretty complete agreement,” Dole said without providing any details on a possible consensus approach. “We may not get it done . . . but I’m willing to try it.”

Mitchell, however, objected to Dole’s proposal for a leadership-written health care bill on grounds that it would give too much power to four or five members of Congress to shape the outcome.

Mitchell and Dole also were at loggerheads on another issue before lawmakers this month: ratification of a world trade agreement.

Dole, who strongly backed the President on the North American Free Trade Agreement, said he wanted to delay a vote until 1995 on whether to ratify changes in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. Clinton has recommended congressional approval this year.

“We may be able to resolve it, but so far I haven’t seen any (budget) numbers that would lead me to believe we are going to pay for it,” Dole said, referring to revenue-raising provisions needed to offset the loss to the Treasury from lower tariffs provided by the GATT changes.

Noting traditional Republican support for tariff reduction and trade-expanding measures, Mitchell said he was “deeply disappointed” by Dole’s stand against ratifying the GATT agreement this year.

“I’m going to try very hard to get it passed,” Mitchell said. “This is a good agreement for the United States. It will reduce tariffs in other countries for American goods by one-third, it will protect American intellectual-property rights, it will increase access for Americans who offer services in other countries, it will strongly enhance America’s economic future.”