FEINGOLD REINTRODUCES BIPARTISAN BILL TO ADDRESS HEALTH CARE CRISIS Feingold Kicks Off “Health Care Week” With Initiative to Help Move Congress Toward Debate on Health Care Reform February 26, 2006 Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) have reintroduced the Reform Health Care Now Act to help make health care reform a priority in Congress. With an estimated 46.6 million Americans lacking health insurance, and the costs of health care skyrocketing, the time for Congress to comprehensively address health care reform has come. The bill would force Congress to take up the issue during the first 30 days of its next session, thereby breaking the ten-year stalemate in Congress over this critical issue. This effort marks the beginning of Feingold’s “Health Care Week” in which the Senator will address health care issues currently facing Wisconsinites. “In my 14 years of holding listening sessions across the state, Wisconsinites have mentioned health care more than any other issue,” Feingold said. “I am pleased to introduce this legislation that will help bring much-needed relief to the millions of uninsured and underinsured Americans who are suffering from the rising costs of medical care in this country.” The Reform Health Care Now Act would create a process that forces Congress to draft and consider legislation to substantially increase access to health insurance. The legislation does not state a preference for any specific type of health care reform – it simply sets in motion a real debate and real action on health care reform in the Congress. Feingold and Graham are also working together to reintroduce a bipartisan version of Feingold’s State-Based Health Care Reform Act, which he first introduced last year. This legislation would help bring much-needed reform to the nation’s health care system by helping states determine the best way to extend health care coverage to all their citizens. It would authorize pilot projects to launch in a few states and, rather than dictating to the states how to achieve universal coverage, provide them with the flexibility to choose their own way of covering all their citizens. “The current state of our health care system is unsustainable and it is Congress’ responsibility to act now and find a solution to this crisis,” Feingold said. ### Fact Sheet on the Reform Health Care Now Act U.S. Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) have introduced The Reform Health Care Now Act, which would force Congress to take up the issue of health care reform in its next session. This legislation would make the issue of health care reform a priority for Congress, and create a process that forces Congress to draft and consider legislation to substantially increase access to health insurance. The Reform Health Care Now Act Summary of Procedures: Within a month (30 calendar days) after the beginning of the session of Congress following enactment of the bill, the two chairs of the Senate Finance Committee and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, the Senate Majority Leader of the Senate, and the Senate Minority Leader shall each introduce legislation to provide universal health care coverage. If the two committee chairs fail to introduce a bill within the first month, then the ranking minority party member of the respective committee may introduce a measure that qualifies for the expedited treatment described below. The measures introduced by the Majority Leader and Minority Leader will be placed directly on the Senate Calendar. The measures introduced by the two Committee chairs (or ranking minority members) will be referred to their respective committees. The committees have two months (60 calendar days not including recesses of 3 days or more) to review the legislation. At the end of that time, if either committee fails to report a measure, the bills will be placed directly on the legislative calendar. If the Majority Leader fails to move to one of the bills, any Member may move to proceed to any qualifying measure. The motion is not debatable or amendable. In other words, it could not be filibustered. If the motion to proceed is adopted, the chamber will immediately proceed to the consideration of a measure without intervening motion, order, or other business, and the measure remains the unfinished business of the Senate until disposed of, or until the conclusion of an agreed upon length of time. All amendments to the measure must be relevant. Similar expedited procedures would also apply to consideration in the House

# # #