Excerpt of Executive Session Hearing of the Committee on Ways and Means
Files
For years, Wilbur Mills (D-AR), Chair of the House Committee on Ways and Means, had been an obstacle to health reform, but in the 89th Congress his leadership was crucial in passing legislation that gave the nation Medicare. A committee meeting on March 2 was decisive. The executive session transcription indicates that in addition to H.R. 1, the committee also considered a bill submitted by the panel’s ranking minority member, John W. Byrnes (R-WI), who proposed a more expansive, voluntary program for the elderly that was financed through general revenues and participants’ contributions. Another part of Byrnes’s bill included federal matching funds to states that provided subsidies for those who could not afford to participate in the voluntary program. Toward the end of this crucial meeting, Chairman Mills surprised the committee members when he ordered the staff to draw up an entirely new bill that combined H.R. 1 and Byrne’s bill. Participants in the March 2 session described this combination as a “three-layer cake.”
Collection
Citation
United States. Congress. House. Committee on Ways and Means. "Excerpt of Executive Session Hearing of the Committee on Ways and Means." Excerpt of Executive Session Hearing of the Committee on Ways and Means, March 2, 1965; Minutes of the House Committee on Ways and Means, Volume 3 of 9; Committee on Ways and Means; 89th Congress; Records of the U.S. House of Representatives, RG 233; National Archives..
Accessed 28 March 2024.
https://acsc.lib.udel.edu/exhibits/show/legislation/item/193.
Dublin Core
Title
Excerpt of Executive Session Hearing of the Committee on Ways and Means
Subject
Medicare Act of 1965
Description
For years, Wilbur Mills (D-AR), Chair of the House Committee on Ways and Means, had been an obstacle to health reform, but in the 89th Congress his leadership was crucial in passing legislation that gave the nation Medicare. A committee meeting on March 2 was decisive. The executive session transcription indicates that in addition to H.R. 1, the committee also considered a bill submitted by the panel’s ranking minority member, John W. Byrnes (R-WI), who proposed a more expansive, voluntary program for the elderly that was financed through general revenues and participants’ contributions. Another part of Byrnes’s bill included federal matching funds to states that provided subsidies for those who could not afford to participate in the voluntary program. Toward the end of this crucial meeting, Chairman Mills surprised the committee members when he ordered the staff to draw up an entirely new bill that combined H.R. 1 and Byrne’s bill. Participants in the March 2 session described this combination as a “three-layer cake.”
Creator
United States. Congress. House. Committee on Ways and Means
Source
Excerpt of Executive Session Hearing of the Committee on Ways and Means, March 2, 1965; Minutes of the House Committee on Ways and Means, Volume 3 of 9; Committee on Ways and Means; 89th Congress; Records of the U.S. House of Representatives, RG 233; National Archives.
Publisher
Association of Centers for the Study of Congress
Date
1965-03-02
Contributor
Center for Legislative Archives, National Archives and Records Administration
Rights
Materials on this site are provided for educational use under Fair Use outlined by U.S. Copyright law. This item may be protected under copyright. It is the responsibility of the user to obtain permission from the copyright holder before publishing or reproducing materials. For assistance, please contact the contributor of this material.
Format
JPEG/PDF
Language
English
Type
Document
Identifier
cfla_0003.jpg