24 GOP Senators OK Parts of Health Reform
WASHINGTON — Two dozen Republican senators Monday embraced some of the same health reform goals that President Clinton has endorsed, including universal coverage, cost containment, insurance reforms and portability of benefits.
But the GOP senators also came down firmly against forcing businesses to provide heath coverage--which Clinton favors--and against price controls.
“We are offering this in a constructive posture to show where there are votes (among Republicans) for meaningful health care reform,” Sen. Christopher S. Bond (R-Mo.) told a news conference.
The 24 signers include Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole of Kansas; Sens. John H. Chafee of Rhode Island, head of the Senate Republican Health Care Task Force, Orrin G. Hatch of Utah, ranking Republican on the Finance Committee, and Nancy Landon Kassebaum of Kansas, top Republican on Labor and Human Resources.
The 20 Republicans who did not sign the document include such conservatives as Phil Gramm of Texas, Dan Coats of Indiana and John McCain of Arizona, who favor letting workers accumulate tax-free savings to cover their medical costs.
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