Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Health Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
House rejects amended national health‑care resolution after heated debate, 36‑33
Summary
The House considered HJR12 urging national leadership on health‑care cost and access; Representative Stevens' amendment converted the resolution into a call for a conference rather than a policy guarantee, but the amended resolution failed on a 36‑33 vote.
Representative (sponsor) Rose asked the House to uncircle House Joint Resolution 12, a broadly worded resolution asking national leaders to address problems of cost and access in American health care. Rose repeatedly emphasized the measure was not a request for a national program but was intended to put Utah on record urging federal attention to health‑care problems.
Representatives raised questions about whether the resolution implied a right to health care or whether it would be read in Washington as a call for a national plan. Representative Stevens offered a successful floor amendment to change the resolution’s language from calling for a national 'policy' or 'program' to urging a national 'health‑care conference' that would "examine options to address the problems and possible solutions to our health‑care delivery system." Stevens said the amendment removed guarantees and made the resolution a forum for discussion rather than advocacy for a specific federal plan.
Despite the amendment and several speeches for and against, the amended resolution failed on final passage. The clerk announced 36 affirmative votes and 33 negative votes and ruled the measure failed and filed.
