Official: US Health reform Is dead For 1994

On the evening of September 26, the US Senate Majority Leader, George Mitchell, finally acknowledged that there was no longer the slightest hope of getting even the most stripped-down health care reform legislation through in the two weeks remaining before Congress goes into recess for the November elections.

He said that the final hope had been lost when, the week before, President Clinton had been told by Republican leaders in Congress that bringing in a health care reform bill now would spark partisan fighting and thus kill the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade legislation, which had been given top priority by the President because of its beneficial effects on jobs and the economy.

Sen Mitchell, who will not be standing for re-election at the Congressional elections in November, said that both the President and Hillary Clinton deserve enormous credit for their efforts in trying to reform the health care system. For his part, the President said he was disappointed at losing the reform for this year, but added: "our mission will continue."