1 i t C i C C C 0 The Michigan Daily-Friday, May 18, 1979-Page 15 PREDICTS CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL Powell blasts nat'l health insurance plan WASHINGTON AP) - President White House press secretary Jody mandated health coverage for all other hand, he said, the plan Carter is Carter's chief spokesman strongly Powell said any effort to create a com- Americans. It would cost the federal preparing will "have a good chance" of criticized a health insurance plan put prehensive national health insurance government approximately $30 billion, passage. forward by Sen. Edward Kennedy, and plan is doomed to failure in Congress. with an additional $10 billion to be paid Powell disclosed that Califano, predicted yesterday that it stands no ALTHOUGH HE DID not mention from private sources, several HEW aides, and a number of chance of winning congressional ap- Kennedy by name, his comments were Later yesterday, the president met Carter's domestic policy and economic proval. clearly directed at the Massachusetts with HEW Secretary Joseph Califano advisers were summoned to the Democrat's proposal for government- Jr. in one of a series of conferences to meeting with the president. rapidly draw up the administration's POWELL SAID the meeting was own national health insurance called to review work the department M ilriken to aet em er enc propoal. has done in preparing the president's Carter's plan would at first be health insurance plan and to prepare devoted largely to expanding the for what could be a final round of en ergy QMedicaid state health programs for the meetings with members of Congress con s rvi g p o ers poor, administration sources say. before the plan is completed. energy cosrvn powers mn -a;2e= c-- Califano, secretary of the Department "We want to move as rapidly as LANSING (UPI) - A Senate com- emergency declaration under the bill. of Health, Education and Welfare, says possible," Powell said. mittee yesterday approved legislation The emergency declaration would it would cost $10 billion to $15 billion. With Kennedy unveiling his plan, the giving Gov. William Milliken emergen- last 90 days unless the legislature ex- POWELL SAID Carter "could administration is under increased cy powers to order drastic conservation tended it. Persons violating any propose some comprehensive plan" pressure to present its proposal. steps in the event an energy shortage provisions would be subject to fines up that would not win House and Senate It has been reported that Carter's reaches the crisis stage. to $500 a day. approval. "That would make an plan would require an additional $6 Among other things, the bill em- Committee Chairman John Hertel, ideological point," he said. "But it will billion from employers and employees powers Milliken to reduce speed limits (D-Harper Woods), said the immediate have no impact on the people" who involved in health insurance plans, but and provides penalty points for prospect is for gasoline shortages. most need such assistance. administration sources dispute this violators of the emergency speed rules Therefore, the speed restrictions might His comments were the first on-the- figure. beedsrrlsh -r record White House statement about The government already spends become the most important short-term the issue since Kennedy, a possible Car- about $60 billion on Medicare for the 4-0 vote of the Senate Environmental COMMITTEE members, state police ter challenger for the 1980 Democratic elderly and Medicaid for the poor. and Agricultural Affairs Committee. and aides to Milliken agreed that to presidential nomination, revealed his THERE HAVE BEEN suggestions Two public hearings produced vir- back up the speed reductions, penalty plan Monday. that the federal government take over tually no opposition to the bill from a points should be applied. "There are those who feel we Medicaid because of increasing state variety of state agencies and ,special Hertel also said he is concerned about shouldn't do anything unless we do costs, but sources, asking not to be interest groups. possible constitutional shortcomings of everything," Powell said at the daily identified, have said the ad ministration However, constitutional and political the bill. It has the effect of amending White House briefing. "The president considers this proposal too expensive. questions along with public skepticism other laws, but legal advisors to the honestly disagrees with that ap- Rather, they said, health insurance about the reality of energy shortages governor said the amendments were proach." planners want to ease eligibility rules to could provoke fireworks when the bill is undertaken through the legally san- "HE'S NOT INTERESTED in permit more needy people to take ad- taken up by the full Senate. ctioned route of implication - not the proposing a plan for the sake olf vantage of the federally assisted unconstitutional amendment by making a speech," Powell said, em- program and standardize the benefits it THE MEASURE is legally tied to reference. phasizing that no one has succeeded in offes. another bill assessing two penalty poin- Constitutional arguments are impor- winning congressional approval of a Announcing the administration's s on the driving record of anyone who tant, Hertel said, because energy "do-it-all" healti insurance plan in at decision two months ago to offer a violates speed rules during an officially emergencies are widely considered to least 30 years of discussions about the scaled-down "phse one" plan, Califano declared energy emergency. be contrived and the emergency powers issue. said it would feature protection for all Unless the penalty point assessments might be challenged in court on the None has come close to passing and Americans against the costs of are enacted, the emergency powers bill basis they are unjustified. none will this session," he said. On the catastrophic illnesses. cannot become law, and vice versa - a >rovision opposed by Sen. William Sederburg, (R-East Lansing), sponsor if the bill. Under normal cnditin i am:N V 1L1G 1V111G1 vlluuls, pon s are not assessed against persons driving between 55 and 70 miles per hour on freeways. That would change only in an emergency situation. MILIIKEN COULD assume authority to restrict fuel or other energy sales, regulate heating, air con- ditioning and lighting, restrict operating hours of businesses and fac- tories, force motorists to switch to public transportation, and require energy companies to allocate supplies to areas of critical need, in an is preserved on ~Nam MGD1FU The Michigan Daily 420 Maynard Street AND Graduate Library Icier"S"i"" "Pro io"s"Preisesa "am rtKauans a Prorcion Geoge Hamilton - Susan Saint James - Richard Benjamin love At First Bite" Dkk Shawn IArtejohnirson ,r .a iRobert Kaufman a George Hamilton reCharles Bernstein spaRobert Kaufman a Mark Gindes ',-'arbRobert Kaufman Peajoel Freeman ma bStan Dragoti PG ARNTALJB SUESTO b 0 Nsl i n imericonInteratinal Rulse