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t GEORGE J. M1iCNELt. MAINE. CNANIMAN • eTHOMAS A DASCNLE. SOUTH DAKOTA, CO•CNAIRMAN PAUL S. SAR•ANES. MARYLAND. VICE•CNAiRMAN TERRY SANVORD. NORTH CAROUNA, VICE•CNAtRMAN .IEfF BINGAMAN. NEW MEX/C0. VICECNAIRMAN J1NN GLENN, ONIO. VICE•CHANIMAN ERNEST F. HOLUNGS, SOUTH CAROUNA . QVENTIN N. BURDICK, NORTH DAKOTA CLAtSORNE PELL• RNODE ISLAND DALE BUMPERS, ARKANSAS HOWELL HEFLIN, AWAMA luniteb otateg oenate Aemocratic *oticp Committee Sagfjington, IDC 20510-7050 (202) 224-5551 For Immediate Release: Tuesday, Oct. 29, 1991 Contact: FRANK R. LAVTENaERG. NEW JERSEY DON RIEGLE. MICHIGAN DAN/El PATRICK MOYNIHAN. NEW YORK JOHN D. ROCKECELLER. IV, WEST VM61NtA TIMOTNY E. WIRTN, COLORADO RICNARD H. BRYAN, NEVADA CNARLES S. ROSt. VIRGiN7A . HERSERT H. KOHL. WISCONSIN WENDEU H. FOND, KENTYCKY, EII OMK1O yu WNVI DAVID PRYOR. ARKANSAS. Ex 0R/C10 (AS SECRETARY OF CONReRENCO MONICA M. HEUY iTAR% DIRECTOR Garth Neuffer (202) 224-1373 or Diane Dewhirst (202) 224-2939 MITCHELL & DEMOCRATIC GOVS. AGREE ON PRINCIPLES FOR PASSING COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH REFORM; CALL ON BUSH TO ACT NOW Washington, D.C. -- Senate Majority Leader George J. Mitchell , D-ME, and others today met with six Democratic Governors and announced agreement on a set of principles to guide them in pushing for enactment of comprehensive health care legislation in this Congress, and challenged President Bush to join them in their effort. "No problem is of greater importance to American families today than the dire need for comprehensive health care reform. I have travelled all over my state and all over this country. Everywhere I go I hear tragic stories of families who have lost their health insurance and have been ruined by the huge costs of providing health care for their loved ones," said Sen. Mitchell. On September 18, Sen. Mitchell invited the Democratic Governors to meet in Washington, D.C. to discuss the problems of health care in their states and how Congress and the states could work together to speed passage of comprehensive national health care legislation. At their recent conference in Seattle, the Governors made health care a top priority, and indicated they wanted to meet with the White House and Congress. Today, Sen. Mitchell met with: • Gov. Roy Romer, D-CO, head of the Democratic Governors Association • Gov. Booth Gardner, D-WA • Gov. Lawton Chiles, D-FL ~ Gov. John Waihee, D-HI • Gov. Howard Dean, D-VT • Gov. Mike Sullivan, D-WY "States have been on the front line in having to cope with the health care crisis. Many of them have done remarkable jobs. But they cannot carry the load alone. The federal government must provide leadership," said Sen. Mitchell, who with other Senators has introduced S.1227, HealthAmerica, a bill to provide affordable health care for all Americans. "The Governors and I met today and reached agreement on a set of principles to guide our efforts in pushing for enactment of national health care legislation, and doing it in this Congress. These principles call for a comprehensive approach to health care refoim. They call for controlling the skyrocketing cost of health care, as well as providing all Americans access to quality care. They call for cutting the huge amount of unnecessary paperwork and bureaucracy. And they call for providing transferability of health care benefits - especially important in these times of economic recession. The loss of a job should never have to mean the loss of health care coverage. ' "Democrats, both in Washington and around the country, are committed to working for a speedy remedy to our health care crisis. We challenge President Bush to endorse the principles we have agreed on today. We challenge him to step up and join us in our effort to enact much-needed health care reform in this Congress. TIOK 0009314 -more-

2 "Nearly two years ago, President Bush in his State of the Union speech promised to study the health care problem and declared his commitment to 'bring the staggering costs of health care under control.' So far, all we've gotten is empty promises and no results. The (Health Sec.) Sullivan task force has studied the problem for 21 months without making any recommendations, and the Steelman Commission has yet to produce any results. The Bush Administration has consistently opposed all Democratic measures to control health care costs," said Mitchell. Sen. Mitchell announced at his meeting with the Governors that he will be conducting a series of field hearings across the country in December to discuss regional health care needs and help shape Congressional efforts to put together a comprehensive health care reform package. "We are seeking input from the states to refine those proposals to better meet their needs. We want to hear from individual Americans and businesses that have been bankrupted by the system. We want to find out more about both the problems and the solutions," said Mitchell. "Contrary to the belief of some, this is not just a problem of the poor. Incredibly, more than half of the 37 million people in this country with no health care coverage are fully employed. And all Americans are forced to struggle under the increasing burden of health care costs. We will spend $670 billion on health care this year -- an estimated 16% of our annual income per person. That's a huge and growing bite out of the average American's paycheck. It's a national disgrace, and America can do better. "Americans shouldn't have to worry that a serious illness or a pink slip will mean financial ruin: Too many have already suffered that fate. Democrats are committed to enacting comprehensive, workable health care reform. We ask the President to join us. The time to act is now. " -30- (Health care reform yi~nciFles agreed to by Democratic Governors and Senate Democrats are included in Fress information kit) TIOK 0009315