mr. mcconnell: mr. president? the presiding officer: the republican leader. mr. mcconnell: i ask that further proceedings under the quorum call be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. mcconnell: mr. president, one thing republicans and democrats can all agree on is the need for serious health care reform. on monday, president obama spoke to the american medical association to discuss the issue. a i applaud the president for hs commitment to health care reform and i agree that we plead to make health care remore affordable and access to believe other americans. the people want us to fix what's wrong with the system without taking away the freedom, choices and quality of care they now

enjoy. during his speech to the a.m.a., the president acknowledged his concerns and articulated some principles on homosexuality care reform that many republicans share. but it seems to me that many of my friends on the other side of the aisle should have listened more closely to what the president said to the a.m.a. one thing the president said that republicans agree with is that americans shouldn't be forced to give up the insurance they currently have and like and be forced into a government plan. the president promised the american people that -- quote -- "if you like your doctor, you'll be able to keep your doctor." if you like your health care plan, you'll be able to keep your health care plan. no one will take it away, no matter what." republicans agree with the president on that. yet democrats in congress are making last-minute edits to a bill in the "help" committee this week that the nonpartisan congressional budget office wils will cost $10 million.

and that is the number of people who would lose their current insurance under just one section of the bill. this legislation is still missing significant sections that could force tens of millions of additional americans to lose their current coverage. republicans share the president's belief that those who like their health insurance should be able to keep it, but the bill currently being considered by the "help" committee would help americans off of the health care -- would force americans off of the health care entrance they now enjoy. another issue that the president and republicans agree on is the need to invest more in preventive care and wellness programs, which are an important way to cut costs and improve care. president obama mentioned the successful wellness and prevention program that safeway created, which has dramatically cut the company's health care costs and employees' health care premiums. he said he would be open to doing more to help businesses

across the country adopt and expand programs like the one created by safeway. yet the bill the democrats are now pushing through the sphwhoot actually ban this successful program from being copied and implemented by other companies. kweufrpbz also agree with the president on the need to -- republicans also agree with the president on the need to reform malpractice lawsuit cause. these lawsuits cause insurance premiums for doctors to skyrocket and doctors pass those higher costs on to patients. doctors also often order expensive and unnecessary tests just to protect themselves against these lawsuits, and some doctors just close their practices or stop offering services as a result of all of these pressures. and patients are the ones who lose out. according to a report by the kentucky institute of medicine, kentucky is nearly 2,300 doctors short of the national average, a

shortage that could be reduced in part by reforming medical malpractice laws. president obama has not advocated the kind of medical liability reform most republicans would like to see but he has at least opened the door to fixing the system. but none of the bills introduced in congress even acknowledge -- none of the bills introduced in congress even acknowledge the need for malpractice reform or propose any solutions to deal with the problem. finally, republicans share the president's concerns about how much health care reform is going to cost and how we will pay for it. president obama said that he set down a rule that -- quote -- "health care reform must be and will be deficit-neutral in the next decade." but the preliminary estimates from the bill before the "help" committee show that just one -- just one -- section of the bill spends $1.3 trillion. and even more outrageous is the fact that the bill doesn't have proposals to pay for its

enormous price tag other than to borrow it from the taxpayers. americans want reform, but they don't want a blind rush to spend trillions of dollars that they and their grandchildren will have to pay for through higher taxes and even more debt. when it comes to making sure americans can keep the coverage they have, strengthening wellness and prevention programs, reforming our medical malpractice laws and paying for health care reform, republicans share a common ground with the president. i just wish that congressional democrats did as well. mr. president, i suggest the absence of a quorum. mr. president, on another matter, nobel peace prize laureate aung san suu kyi turns 64 today. unfortunately she will not spend her birthday in the presence of

family and friends but in burma's notorious prison where 31 political prisoners have died since 1988. despite her apparently poor health, suu kyi is being housed because she is standing trial for the dubious charge of permitting a misguided american to enter her home. sadly, suu kyi has already spent 13 of her last 19 birthdays under house arrest and if convicted of these trumped-up charges by the burmese regime, she could spend the next five birthdays in this foul prison. the best gift suu kyi can receive for her birthday is for the regime to display uncommon good sense and free her and other burmese prisoners of conscience. my colleagues and i are permitted -- are committed to standing with her and the people of burma for as long as it takes for that to occur. mr. president, i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll.

quorum call:

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quorum call: