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Blackwell, Lucien [103rd Congress]
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Blackwell, Lucien [103rd Congress]
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Blackwell, Lucien
PHOTOCOPY
PRESERVATION
THE WHITE HOUSE
March 16, 1993
Dear Representative Blackwell:
Thank you for your thoughtful letter in
support of my appointment as chair of the
health care task force. I appreciate having
your confidence. You know that I will do
everything I can to rise to the challenge, as
the health of so many Americans is at stake.
You were kind to share your experiences
working with your wife Jannie. I hope that I
will have the opportunity to hear her
insights about this one day.
Again, thank you for writing. With best
wishes,
Sincerely,
Hillary
The Honorable Lucien E. Blackwell
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
shilley - this sensitive was one of
the time
]
invitations. Path will
call to decline
I
Pan
NRN
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
WASHINGTON, D. C. 20515
LUCIEN E. BLACKWELL
SECOND DISTRICT
May 30, 1993
PENNSYLVANIA
First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton
Office of the First Lady
The White House
Washington, D.C.
20500
Dear Mrs. Clinton:
I write to invite you to address a Health Care Town Hall Meeting that is scheduled
to take place in my Congressional District on Wednesday, June 23, 1993. I need not
tell you of the importance and timeliness of the health care issue.
The Meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. and will take place in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania at the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, Stokes Auditorium, 1st Floor.
Childrens Hospital is located at 34th and Civic Center Boulevard.
I have taken the liberty of enclosing a recent flier, distributed by my office to every
household in the Second Congressional District of Pennsylvania, which announces the
Meeting and provides other health care related information. If you are able to attend,
I would ask that you deliver the main address. In addition, if you are able to remain
for a period of time and respond to questions, it would make the Meeting one from
which my constituents can greatly benefit and will always remember.
I hope you can join us on June 23rd. Should you have any inquiries, kindly feel
free to call me or have your staff call my Chief of Staff, Mrs. Corliss Clemonts James
at 225-4001.
Thank you for your interest and your cooperation.
Sincerely,
for Lucien E. Blackwell
Member of Congress
Enclosure
NOT PAID FOR AT GOVERNMENT EXPENSE
Clinton Presidential Records
Digital Records Marker
This is not a presidential record. This is used as an administrative
marker by the William J. Clinton Presidential Library Staff.
This marker identifies the place of a publication.
Publications have not been scanned in their entirety for the purpose
of digitization. To see the full publication please search online or
visit the Clinton Presidential Library's Research Room.
Congressman Lucien El Blackwell's
SPECIAL HEALTH CARE
REPORT
TO THE PEOPLE
SECOND DISTRICT PENNSYLVANIA
JUNE 1993
HEALTH CARE REFORM - AN URGENT NEED
Work of Hillary Rodham Clinton Critical
A little more than a decade ago, employers were
mothers, with children, unable to ease their pain and
the primary providers of health care for American
suffering because the cost of prescription drugs has
workers. While most American workers remain co-
gone beyond their means to pay. This is a crisis we
vered by employee health care plans, there has been
can no longer ignore.
a marked reduction in such coverage, especially
Driven by seemingly uncontrollable Medicaid
among medium-to-large business firms.
and Medicare costs, federal spending for health care
According to the Employee Benefits Research
is one of the leading causes of the federal budget
Institute, in 1979, ninety-seven percent of medium-
deficit. According to the Congressional Budget
to-large business firms provided health care cover-
Office, Medicaid costs will increase from $68 bil-
age to their workers. By 1991, that total had drop-
lion in 1992 to $146 billion by 1998, and will com-
ped to eighty-three percent, and the numbers con-
prise about 9 percent of all federal spending in 1998,
tinue to decline as health care costs soar out of
compared with 3 percent in 1990. Medicare costs will
control.
increase by an average of 12 percent between 1994
The loss of high wages and low job growth have
and 1998. Those increases are on top of the project-
exacerbated the problem of disappearing benefits
ed spending of $134.1 billion in 1993 for Medicare,
among workers. It is for that reason that Congress-
an amount that represents 9.2 percent of total fed-
man Blackwell welcomes
eral spending. Fraud,
the appointment of the
abuse and poor manage-
First Lady, Hillary Rod-
ment exacerbate the
ham Clinton, to head the
problem.
Healthcare Task Force.
The high cost is put-
The Task Force was
ting health care beyond
charged with the responsi-
the reach of more and
bility of drafting the
more Americans. Over the
specifics of health care re-
past three years, some 13
form legislation within the
percent of employers with
first 100 days of the Clin-
50 or fewer employees
ton Administration. Its
have eliminated health
report is now expected in
care coverage as a benefit
mid-June.
of employment. Current-
Congressman Black-
ly, some 35 million
well's recent remarks on
"There is an urgent need for national health care
citizens, 14 percent of the
reform, Congressman Blackwell shown here tell-
the need for health care re-
ing First Lady, Hillary Rodham Clinton.
entire population, have no
form are quite timely. The
coverage, and the number
remarks follow:
is rapidly rising. Unless we do something about this
"The American health care system is in deep
problem, we will become a nation of sick people,
trouble. Health care spending is out of control. As
unable to produce and help the economy to grow.
a result, millions of Americans with health care
The linkage between health care and economic
coverage are unable to afford any care beyond the
recovery is clear and, it is grounded in more than
bare essentials. Millions more go without coverage
just dollars.
altogether. The cost of providing health care to
We must begin now to contain health care costs,
America is expected to rise from $838 billion in 1992
to make long-term care affordable, to make a way
to an estimated $939 billion in 1993, and to more
for every person in need to be able to pay for medi-
than $1.7 trillion by the year 2000.
cation and to provide health care coverage for all. Of
In my state, there are fathers with jobs, stand-
these goals, cost containment is paramount. If we can
ing in the soup lines, bent and broken because need-
not contain costs, we can not have affordable health
ed medical care cost fifty dollars, and they only had
care and medication for all. More importantly, if we
five. There are families, forced to make choices be-
can not contain costs, we can not reasonably expect
tween long-term care and college tuition. There are
to have a deficit reduction program."
60206
/
To Representative Lucien Blackwell
with best wishes, and thanks !
Hillary Rodbam Clinton