The Michigan Daily -- Wednesday, March 16, 1994 -- 5 *President's health care plan passes first of many hurdles 0 Stark subcommittee to debate series of cost issues focused on health insurance THE WASHINGTON POST WASHINGTON - Six months after President Clinton proposed a plan to remake the nation's health system, members of a congressional subcommittee cast the first votes on health care reform yesterday, voting narrowly to require employers to pay for insurance for their workers. The House Ways and Means health subcommittee, launching what will be months of voting in four major committees and dozens of subcom- mittees, voted on a slimmed-down alternative to the Clinton plan written by Rep. Fortney "Pete" Stark (D-Ca- lf.) the subcommittee chair. The subcommittee voted 6 to 5 against a Republican amendment to kill the requirement that employers pay 80 percent of the costs of work- ers' insurance. The provision, called an employer mandate," is the key feature of both Stark's and the president's plan, and it will likely face dozens of similar challenges be- fore the issue is decided. All but one of the Democrats on the subcommittee supported the em- ployer payment provisions. Rep. Michael A. Andrews (D-Tex.) joined fourRepublicans in favorof an amend- ment by Rep. Fred Grandy (R-Iowa) to strip the employer mandate from the bill. "We should not put the burden of health care squarely on the backs of business, particularly small business," said Grandy. The employer mandate would destroy up to 1.2 million jobs, he said.He argued that the nation should first try reform of insurance rules. But Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) called efforts to kill the employer requirement "a dagger in the heart of the bill." Stark said a bill without the man- datory provision "would draw a veto from the president" because the em- ployer requirement is the only fea- sible way to achieve guaranteed cov- erage of all Americans - including the 39 million who lack insurance. "It would take out the financing for universal coverage-pure and simple," said Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin (D.- Md.) The rejection of the Grandy amendment is only the first of a long series of votes continuing through the week in the Stark subcommittee. Af- ter all amendments to the Stark text have been voted on, the subcommit- tee will take up GOP substitutes. Only if the Stark bill survives these challenges will it face a final vote in subcommittee. The plan contains simi- lar features to Clinton's plan. The White House has encouraged Stark to go forward to get health care legisla- tion moving. "We've made progress," said Rep. Sander M. Levin (D-Mich.) after Tuesday's session, but "I'm not sure we're any closer in terms of getting a bill out." He said critical issues re- main such as phasing in the employer payment more slowly, finding ways to soften the impact on small business paying for insurance for early retirees and several other matters. In other votes yesterday, the sub- committee cut back on the mandatory payments employers would be re- quired to make for workers' insur- ance. A Cardin amendment was ap- proved, 7 to 4, to limit the employer liability to the 80 percent of the cost of low priced insurance rather than any insurance plan. Also defeated yesterday by the same 6-to-5 lineup was a proposal that tax deductions by employers and employees for plans be limited. This procedure is called a "tax cap." But Democrats Jim McDermott (Wash.) and Levin argued that for workers who have consciously given up pay raises to get good health plans, this would be a step backward. Levin said it would be a "massive tax shift" that would harm modest income work- ers whose unions had negotiated health benefits. Despite scandals, closer to universa THE WASHINGTON POST WASHINGTON -Like pilots circling for a landing on a small, fog-shrouded airstrip, the chair of five key congressional committees are searching for the compromise on health care legislation they know is down there. "It won't be the Clinton plan, and it won'tbethe Republican plan, and it won't be my plan," said Rep. Jim Cooper, (D-Tenn.) sponsor of one of the major alternatives under consideration. "But we are closer ... than we have been since Harry Truman's time." Truman's bid for national health care was thwarted by the opposi- tion of the American Medical As- sociation and by the loss of White House political leverage, partly as a result of administration scandals. Last week, some of President Clinton's allies on Capitol Hill worried privately that the Whitewater investigation was dis- tracting him and first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton from the full-scale offensive it will take to enact his ambitious health care plan over the heavily financed op insurers and provide But so far, the: inquiry into the Clint( activities seems only Congress'sdetermina on the president's tor ity. Democratic lead( can reach his goal of, age for everyone at believe the basic arch plan may survive. Serious problem however, in House dling the issue. Whit insist that they arei getting legislation o but attention has foci on the Senate as the needed compromise House Majority A. Gephardt, (D-M "I'm still very optim together on this sid Still, he noted tha cal situation is entirel the Senate. There are licans there who are r here, we have to fit passage) among De Congress moves [ health coverage position of some we can't count on any Republican ers. votes.Thetensions between thesingle- special counsel's payer liberals (who prefer a tax-fi- ons' past financial nanced, government-administered to have stiffened system) and the Cooper conserva- ition topress ahead tives make it very tough." p legislative prior- The first "markup" sessions in ers still think they the health subcommittee of the guaranteed cover- House Ways and Means Com- ad some of them mittee underlined Gephardt's point. itureoftheClinton Subcommittee Chair Fortney H. "Pete" Stark, (D-Calif.) started with s have emerged, his own variant on the Clinton plan, committees han- but at week's end was still searching e House officials for a formula that would attract the not giving up on votes of all six Democrats on the )ut of the House, panel. None of the five Republicans used increasingly has given any indication of support- arena where the ing the Stark plan. may be found. A similar drafting effort in the Leader Richard health subcommittee of the House 4o.) said Friday, Energy and Commerce Committee istic we can put it was called off when it became clear e of the Capitol." that subcommittee Chair Henry A. t "the basic politi- Waxman, (D-Calif.) had no prospect y different over in of reporting out anything close to the moderate Repub- Clintonmodel. CommitteeChairJohn eady to play. Over D. Dingell, (D-Mich.) is searching for ad 218 votes (for a majority of votes in the full commit- mocrats, because tee - so far without success. *Aircraft crashes off coast of Somalia MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) - An American AC-1.30 aerial gunship crashed into the Indian Ocean off the Kenyan coast Monday, killing one crew member and leaving 10 miss- ing. Three other crew members were taken from the water by rescuers, said Army Col. Steve Rausch. Kenyan divers and fishing boats, as well as several U.S. aircraft, were continuing the search. The plane had taken off from Mombasa, Kenya, and was on its way to Somalia "to conduct a routine mis- sion" in support of U.S. forces there, said a Pentagon spokesperson, Cmdr. Joe Gradisher, in Washington. There were no early indications that the plane went down due to hostile fire. Rausch said the crash would be investigated, but it appeared to be the result of a malfunction. S. Africa to hold first open elections for all citizens next month LOS ANGELES TIMES SPRINGS, South Africa - De- mocracy clearly is a bit daunting to the workers on the afternoon shift at the giant Impala Platinum Ltd. refin- ery here. Eighteen men sit in a small sports pavilion, listening patiently as Vincent Ngcobo explains their rights and re- sponsibilities when South Africa goes to the polls next month for the first election in which Blacks are able to vote after 340 years of white rule. These men are Black. Their ques- tions are to the point. Since Ngcobo keeps referring to the national election and the new Na- tional Assembly, does that mean they must vote for President Frederik W. de Klerk's National Party? Should they mark an X on the ballot for the party they want-oragainsttheparty, they don't like? Does an X, which many illiterate people use for a signa- ture, mean they can be identified later? Elphus Mokoena, a 29-year-old machinist, is convinced. He plans to drive four hours to vote in his home village. "If I don't vote, maybe my party will only lose by one vote," he explains later. With the April 26-28 vote fast approaching, a fierce election fever has swept the land. Although headlines focus on South Africa's continuing violence and on the daily campaigning by De Klerk and his chief rival, Nelson Mandela, the critical challenge lies behind the scenes in scores of voter education programs like this one. About 22.5 million South Afri- cans will be eligible to vote - up to 18 million for the first time. "One of the biggest problems is the uncertainty" of recentpolitical developments, says Barry Gilder, head of the IndependentForum for Elec- toral Education, an umbrella group of 40 non-governmental organizations running voter programs.. AP PHOTO U.S. Army personnel recover the body of an American soldier after the crash of Spectre Gunship off the coast of Somalia. a U.S. Air Force, AC-130H Kenya borders Somalia to the south and has long served as a base for both U.S. military and humani- tarian efforts aimed at Somalia. Rausch said two 60mm mortar shells exploded Monday evening near Mogadishu's seaport, where 320 American soldiers were awaiting ship- ment to Mombasa aboard a Navy transport ship.One of the shells fell near the port's main gate, the other just outside, Rausch said, but neither caused any injuries. The last of the American troops are due to leave March 25. Former legislative aide conquers primanes LANSING (AP) - A former leg- islative aide won a special primary in the western Upper Peninsula yester- day, setting the stage for a political showdown over control of the Michi- gan House. With 71 percent of the vote counted, Paul Tesanovich, of L'Anse, had 8,703, or 91 percent, while wel- fare rights organizer Gerald Gerbig, of Ramsay, had 898, or 9 percent. Tesanovich was a House liaison in the Upper Peninsula for House Democratic Leader Curtis Hertel. He lost the 1992 Democratic primary to former state Rep. Steve Shepich. Tesanovich will take on former state Rep. Stephen Dresch in a special election on April 26. That race figures to be a hard- fought contest since it offers Repub- licans a chance to take control of the House for the first time since 1968. Dresch, a Hancock Republican, gave up the seat in 1992 after a single term for an unsuccessful run for the U.S. House. He didn't face any pri- mary opposition yesterday. If Dresch can regain the seat, it would give Republicans the 56th seat needed to take control of the 110- vided between the two parties, but the GOP has a temporary 55-52 edge with vacancies in three Democratic seats. Shepich (D-Iron River) won the seat in 1992, but resigned Jan.25 after pleading guilty to a felony tied to the House Fiscal Agency scandal. His resignation was part of a plea bargain arranged with state prosecu- tors investigating $1.8 million in mis- spending at the House Fiscal Agency. Democrats are expected to retain control of the other two vacant House seats, while Republicans figure tokeep a vacant state Senate seat. The other House seats were va- cated by Reps. Charlie Harrison, of Pontiac, and David Hollister, of Lan- sing, who won mayoral races in their hometowns. In the Pontiac district, longtime Oakland County Commissioner Hubert Price, a Democrat, didn't face any primary foe. He moved automati- cally into the April 26 special elec- tion. He'll take on John Demers, who won the GOP primary over political novice Dennis Carter. Demers won with 2,498 votes, or61 percent. Carter got 1,590, or 39 percent. Hollister's vacant seat attracted two candidates from each party. In the Democratic primary, State' Board of Education member Barbara Roberts Mason and five-term Ingham County Commissioner Lynne Martinez were running in aclose race. In the GOP primary, Maureen Bowyer was leading home improve- ment contractor Jeff Brenner. The Senate seat was vacated in January after Vernon Ehlers left the post to become U.S. Representative. He replaced U.S. Rep. Paul Henry, a five-term Grand Rapids Republican who died of brain cancer in July. POSITIONS AVAILABLE Michigan Student Assembly is looking for students who are interested in getting involved! The Campus Governance Committee of MSA has positions open for students on a variety of campus committees. If you are interested in applying for one of the following positions, pick up an application outside of the Michigan Student Assembly offices on the third floor of the Union. All position terms begin in September of 1994. Deadline for applications is April 1. 1994. Thank You! Academic Affairs Committee (1 student) Civil Liberties Board (3 students-2 undergrads, I grad) Financial Affairs Advisory Committee (2 students-I undergrad, I grad) Government Relations Advisory Committee (2 students) Committee for a Multicultural University (4 students-2 undergrads, 2 grads) Research Policies Committee (4 students-l undergrad, 3 grads) Student Relations Advisory Committee (4 students-2 undergrads, 2 grads) If you have any questions, or would like more information, please contact Julie Neenan, Chairperson of Campus Governance Committee, at the MSA offices 763-3241. 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