Montana labor news., 1939-08-31
Statement Of Senator Murray Accompanying
Senate Subcommittee Preliminary Report
On National Health Bill. August Alb, 1899

Senator James E. Murray, of Mon
tana, chairman of the subcommittee,
consisting of Senators Murray, DON
ahey, Ellender, LaFollette and Taft,
of the committee on education and
labor, appointed to consider the
National Health Bill, today filed
with the Senate a preliminary re-
port on the legislation. Accompany
ing the report (attached) was the
following statement by Senator Muir
ray:
'The mass of testimony and in
formation available to the subcom-
mittee shows co~nvincingly that there
are great opportunities to improve
health conditions in this country, to
reduce the toll of pain and suffer-
ing, to lessen disease and premature
death, and to diminish public and
private burdens created by prevent
able sickness and disability. The
evidence on unmet health needs, in
urban and in rural areas, is over
whelming, as may be evidenced to
anyone who will examine the record.
Notwithstanding the commendable
and progressive improvement in
health conditions, these existing de-
ficiencies, for particular communi-
ties, population groups, indicate how
much more could be done by making
available to all the people the great
~life-saving services offered by mod
ern medicine.
"The professions and the voluntary
hospitals have long been perform
ing humanitarian services deserving
the highest praise. The limited eco
nomic resources available to groups
of individuals and to various gov
ernmental units, r not the re-
sponsibility of doctors or of volun-
tary hospitals. Both the Congress
and the professions IRE trying to
see an existing problem in its proper
proportions in order that we and
they together can devise an appro-
pirate solution.
Federal legislation along the gen.
eral lines of the National Health Bill,
based upon federal-state cooperation,
is necessary to strengthen the health
services of the nation and to make
provision for the progressive and
effective Improvement of health con-
ditions in all parts of the country
and among all groups of the people.
The program is flexible and adjust
able to the varying needs in the sew
eral states, urban and rural. The
bill does not propose to set up a
federal system of medical care; it
undertakes only to encourage and
aid the states in setting up their
own programs. Neither-as seemed
to be thought by some witnesses
does the bill set up a federal sys-
tenn of health insurance or of state
medicine or of socialized medicine,
nor does it require any state to set
up any particular type of medical
service. The role of the federal gov
eminent remains-as it is now-to
give financial and technical aid to
the states.
"This is not a mere emergency
program any more than the health
problems of the day are emergency
problems. 1t represents a carefully
planned, %long-range effort, ade-
quately financed, to assure the maxi
mum return from public and private
expenditures in the field of health,
with special emphasis on the proven
ton of disease and disability.
"The public hearings disclose broad
and substantial support for such
legislation. Its detectives are nom
controversial. A critical analysis of
its provisions shows a number of
points at which its specific purposes
can be more clearly stated and its
language improved and perfected.
Among the problems which were
developed at the hearings and which
Continued on Page III