President Urges Congress to Set Vote on Health Care : Politics: He enumerates concerns he wants addressed before lawmakers adjourn. GOP leader, in turn, calls on Clinton to approve Republican tax cut package.

Setting up an autumn showdown, President Clinton urged Congress on Wednesday to schedule a vote on his health care package. “We should not delay this any more,” he said.

The president gathered health care advocates in the White House East Room and, in a 23-minute speech, enumerated an eight-point list of health care concerns that he wants addressed before Congress adjourns at year’s end.

“This is not a laundry list. They are like eight panels [of a] protective umbrella for America’s future,” Clinton said. “I don’t expect them to agree with everything I want to do. What I want them to do is sit down and talk with me, and let’s agree on the objectives.”

Rep. William M. Thomas (R-Bakersfield), chairman of the Ways and Means health subcommittee, said lawmakers planned to act in coming weeks on at least three issues: patient privacy, HMO reform and strengthening Medicare. In turn, he called on Clinton to approve the GOP tax cut package.

“Republicans in Congress have made tremendous progress on those issues, but we have the opportunity to do that and so much more with the president’s help,” Thomas said. “If the president is really serious about addressing the health needs of our nation’s uninsured, he should stop threatening to veto Congress’ efforts to make health care more affordable and he should sign the Republican tax relief plan.”

Clinton’s list included the politically charged issues of Medicare and patients’ rights under managed care plans, as well as others that enjoy broad bipartisan support, such as a plan to remove obstacles to health coverage for disabled people who want to work.

Clinton acknowledged a “new and increasingly bipartisan consensus” emerging on Medicare, patient privacy protections, curbing teen smoking, expanding health coverage for uninsured children and adults with disabilities. But he said that consensus “will amount to little” if GOP leaders refuse to schedule a vote.

“Nothing can stop it unless the votes aren’t scheduled or we decide not to talk,” Clinton said. “And all of you know I’m always willing to talk.”

Clinton said that if Congress does not pass legislation to protect the privacy of patients’ records, he would do so through executive action, as he promised during his State of the Union address this year. “If need be, I will issue these new protections this fall,” he said.

The president also appealed for compromise on the proposed Work Incentive Improvement Act, which is before the House. The legislation would allow disabled people to keep their health coverage when they join the work force.

He cited the case of a New Hampshire man who wanted to accept a job that paid $28,000 per year but could not because of disabilities that create about $40,000 per year in health bills.

“Wouldn’t you rather have the man making $28,000 and giving some of it back in taxes as a productive citizen?” Clinton asked. “This is foolish. It’s time to schedule a vote.”

The president said deep disagreements over funding the proposal should not be allowed to ruin the bill’s prospects for passage. He noted it has 231 co-sponsors in the House.

“They don’t like the way I want to pay for it,” Clinton said. “OK. It’s a big government. There are lots of options. But any way to pay for this within reason is better than letting one more year go by.”