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By LOU HATTER
Rappahannock News Staff Writer
Seventh District Congressman D. French Slaughter Jr. reported that he plans to continue to push for the passage of his Health Care Savings Account bill (HR 3505) when the 100th Congress convenes in January.
The popular Republican congressman, who this year ran unopposed for a second term, told an audience of about 20 Rappahannock residents at the courthouse Thursday afternoon he was pleased that his proposal had gained 40 co-sponsors in the House of Representatives. Mr. Slaughter’s proposal would create tax-credited private savings accounts (similar to IRAs) which would be used for medical expenses, thus easing the strain on the financially ailing Medicare system.
Although the congressman’s proposal was pending in committee when the 99th Congress adjourned last month, Mr. Slaughter pledged to push for its passage in the next session.
He reported that his proposal was one of the five most frequently favored options during hearings conducted by the Department of Health and Human Services. The basic thrust of Mr. Slaughter’s proposal was one of the central recommendations in the department’s “Catastrophic Illness Expenses” report recently released by HHS.
A strong defense
Questioned about the chances for passage of the administration’s defense proposals next year, Rep. Slaughter replied, “It’s dubious; it’s going to be a struggle.” He said that he feels that the country is spending more for defense than it should for the level of protection it is receiving, but quickly added that there were “some pretty substantial reductions last year - considering the situation of the world.”
“We’ve got to keep the pressure on to be more efficient, to get the best value for our dollar. The best way to do that is to have the Pentagon do its own monitoring.” Mr. Slaughter pointed out that the biggest item in the defense budget is personnel expenses, “especially with a volunteer service. Salaries must be competitive to get good people into the service, and keep them there.”
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