Senate Proceeding on Jun 12th, 2008 :: 3:43:32 to 3:55:39
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3:43:19 to 3:43:32( Edit History Discussion )

passage of the balanced budget act. yet congress continually decides to put off for tomorrow what desperately needs to be done today. so every year congress cuts segments of health care services ther

3:43:32 to 3:43:48( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: rightly or wrongly to prevent these cuts i firmly believe -- and i can tell you that physicians in my state firmly believe -- that short-term fixes are not the solutionment this last one was a six-month

3:43:32 to 3:55:39( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Norm Coleman

3:43:48 to 3:44:04( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: fix which will expire shortly. i don't know anyone else in the private sector, whether they be a physician or a small business, can continually plan based on the vagaries of a six-positive fix and without reallynowing

3:44:04 to 3:44:24( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: whether they'll simply be put out of business or what the congress will come up with as a solution a six-month basis. we need a longer-term solution, in other words. and we can't address greater health care

3:44:24 to 3:44:39( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: costs until we fix the mess caused by the s.g.r. or the sustainable growth rate formula for medicare reimbursements. over three months ago, in anticipation of the looming physician payment cut set for

3:44:39 to 3:44:51( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: july 1, i introduced legislation that addressed the issue at hand permanently. even the proposal we're going to vote at 3:00 is only good for 18 months and i think we need a permanent solution. my

3:44:51 to 3:45:04( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: legislation is entitled, "ensuring the future physician work force act of 2008," and it provides positive reimbursementup dates for providers, it eliminates the ineffectual -- reimbursement updates

3:45:04 to 3:45:15( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: for providers, it eliminates the ineffectual insurance cap known as s.g.r., and it increases incentives for physician data reporting. at the same time, this bill facilitates the adoption of health information

3:45:15 to 3:45:26( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: technology by address costs and legislative barriers, educates and empowers physicians and beneficiaries in relation to medicare spending and benefits usage, and studies ways to realign the way medicare

3:45:26 to 3:45:40( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: pays for health care in this country. my bill doesn't mandate whether physician payments should be based on utilization, performance, care, coordination, or any other particular methodology. my bill

3:45:40 to 3:45:59( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: does start to lay down a new path toward reform, innovation and rest raiftion the eroded physician-patient -- restoration of the eroded physician-patient relationship. it does say that providers

3:45:59 to 3:46:16( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: and beneficiaries should not be the ones to be punished by congress's inaction. why congress decided in 1996 to try to balance the budget on the backs of health care providers is beyond me, because beyond

3:46:16 to 3:46:33( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: the the -- the challenges that that prevents -- froants the health care providers -- presents to the health care providers, it's diminished access to health care because more and more physicians refuse to

3:46:33 to 3:46:46( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: take new medicare patients because the reimbursement rates are simply so low. in travis county, where austin, texas, is located, there was a story published in the "austin american statesman" reasonability

3:46:46 to 3:47:02( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: that said that only 18% of physicians in travis county are accepting new medicare patients. and i would like to say that's an isolated incident, but it's not. mr. president, this is a huge issue and

3:47:02 to 3:47:18( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: deserves serious and thoughtful deliberation. the last time the majority party held a hearing on physician payment reform was almost 16 months ago, almost exactly a year before i introduced "ensuring

3:47:18 to 3:47:30( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: the future physician work force act of 2008." yet there's been zero legislative activity, let alone introduction of language addressing this critical issue from a long-term perspective. again, we've been

3:47:30 to 3:47:41( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: stuck in the same, old rut of coming up with temporary fixes, including the six-month fix that will expire july the 1st. i'm disappointed that this is -- by congress's inaction in this regard and die believe

3:47:41 to 3:47:52( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: that -- and i do believe that congress needs to do more than just simply kick the can down the road for another few months and put off a solution that we really ought to be working toward on a bipartisan

3:47:52 to 3:48:06( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: basis and imraition today. -- and embracing today. now, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle i think have missed a major opportunity to take positive steps forward. they present a bill unfortunately

3:48:06 to 3:48:18( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: we're going to vote on at 3:00 that bypassed the committee, ignores the importance of bipartisan input and crks -- and contributions and they are determined to have a vote on a bill that they know

3:48:18 to 3:48:28( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: has no chance of becoming law. because, as we all know around here, no bill has a chance of becoming law unless it is truly a bipartisan product. the rules and traditions of the senate guarantee that,

3:48:28 to 3:48:40( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: and that's one of the things that makes sure that when we vote on things, they have broad support, represent a consensus position and that they are, in the few of the vast majority of senators,

3:48:40 to 3:48:52( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: in the best interests of the american people. but when you try to force a bill that is is strictly part stharntion has -- that is strictly partisan, has very little bipartisan support, we know what

3:48:52 to 3:49:09( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: will happen and that's what's going to happen this afternoon on this vote. they don't become law. the american people were promised a different way of legislating by the majority when they took power,

3:49:09 to 3:49:20( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: but we've seen, unfortunately, this sort of gamesmanship occur time and time again, and i heard senator schumer, the senator from new york, the chairman of the democratic senatorial campaign committee,

3:49:20 to 3:49:39( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: rail against obstruction of their legislative agenda. but you know, it's almost a sure thing when all do you is take a partisan position on legislation and you refuse, as the majority leader has done,

3:49:39 to 3:49:53( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: to allow an amendment process like he did last week on the climate tax bill and you deny full and fair debate. it's virtually a guaranteed result, a failure when you take sort of approach to legislation.

3:49:53 to 3:50:07( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: and that's what's going to happen again this afternoon. now, because the chairman of the finance committee has chosen to take a partisan approach on this legislation, we have come up with an alternative

3:50:07 to 3:50:22( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: that offers solutions to physicians, seniors, and tax. this alternative will provide doctors with a positive increase in their reimbursement rates, extend critical prms, and -- critical programs, and reform

3:50:22 to 3:50:38( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: payments to medicare advantage plans and also implement many other necessary changes to the medicare program. this alternative legislation includes provisions for e-prescribing, closely mirroring legislation

3:50:38 to 3:50:51( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: i cosponsored earlier this year. we really need to change our ways here in the united states senate, and rather than just trying to check off a box saying, yeah, we -- we threw it up a partisan effort

3:50:51 to 3:51:07( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: that we know is going to fail and now we can claim that we were the champions of reform while the ones who would not allow this partisan process to go forward are obstructing it. we need to get

3:51:07 to 3:51:26( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: together and work in a bipartisan way to ensure medicare beneficiaries not only have the coverage they need and deserve but also the access which is guaranteed by a fair rate of compensation for physicians.~

3:51:26 to 3:51:47( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: mr. present, i yield the floor floor. the presiding officer: the senator from vermont. mr. leahy: mr. president, while i was chairing a judiciary committee meeting today, i received notice of the supreme

3:51:47 to 3:52:09( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: court's ruling this morning. mr. president, i normally don't come to the floor to talk about supreme court rulings, whether i agree or disagree with them. but this one is of fundamental importance

3:52:09 to 3:52:22( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: to all americans. and i wanted to take just a moment. we americans know there's nothing more fundamental than the right of habeas corpus. it was part of our reason for fighting a revolution. we knew that

3:52:22 to 3:52:37( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: we could preserve the right of habeas corpus. we preserved it through two world wars. we have preserved it as something that has set us apart from so many other countries around the world. this administration

3:52:37 to 3:52:49( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: has tried to erode this fundamental right of habeas corpus more than all administrations put, and in three separate decisions, a conservative u.s. supreme court in recent years has rejected this

3:52:49 to 3:53:00( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: administration's erosion of the fundamental rights of habeas corpus. i applaud the supreme court for doing that because these protections set the united states apart from those who wish to harm us. this

3:53:00 to 3:53:18( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: decision echoes earlier court opinions that saddle ify our constitutional system of checks and balances. the administration has rolled back essential rights that is had a guided our nation's conscience. the

3:53:18 to 3:53:33( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: administration has acted that the president and the president alone, can decide the rights of americans. it's kept us strong as a nation, mr. president, from the time we fought a revolution when king george

3:53:33 to 3:53:48( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: of england wanted to say that. but we fought that reef luges to say that -- but we fought that revolution to say that we will protect our rights. today's supreme court decision is a stinging rebuke

3:53:48 to 3:53:59( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: of the bush administration's flawed detention policy ies. it is a vindication for those who have also argue ed from the beginning that it was unwise as well as unconstitutional. as i said, the supreme

3:53:59 to 3:54:12( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: court has given a stinging rebuke of the bush administration's flawed detention policy ies. a majority of the court has ruled the provisions in the 2006 military commission's act which were designed to strip

3:54:12 to 3:54:26( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: away all habeas rights for detainees held at guantanamo detention center, they said that's un unconstitutional. the court has ruled that the constitutional right to habeas corpus extends to territories,

3:54:26 to 3:54:39( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: including guantanamo bay, where the united states exercises de facto control. the court further held that the administration's detention procedures were constitutionally inadequate and those detainees

3:54:39 to 3:54:54( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: who have been determined to be unlawful enemy combatants are entitled to seek habe habeas relief in federal courts. the court's 5-4 decision sustains a long-held -- i might say bipartisan -- belief that i

3:54:54 to 3:55:06( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: and others have always maintain maintained: congress made a grave irer when for the -- congress made a grave irer when for the first time in its history it voted to strip habeas corpus rights instead

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Norm Coleman: of leaving in place hopelessly flawed procedures to determine whether detainees could be held indefinitely with no meaningful court review merely by the president's decree. mr. president, i said many times

3:55:29 to 3:55:39( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: on the floor of this senate that we are the conscience of the nation. the senate can be and should be the conscience of the nation. certainly part of that conscience is to uphold our constitution. it's easy

3:55:39 to 3:55:49( Edit History Discussion )

to uphold our constitution when we see no threats on the horizon. it is more difficult, but even more important, to uphold it when we do see threats on the horizon. and so congress, as i said, made