'This Week' in History: The Original Health Care Endgame
1994 'This Week' Interview with Rep. Gephardt and Sen. Mitchell
— -- The failed attempt of the Democratic majorities in 1994 to pass health reform haunt House Democrats as they frantically push for a vote on health care reform this weekend.
In August 1994, after support for the Clinton health care plan had collapsed, House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt, D-Mo., and Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, D-Maine, came forward with competing bills in an attempt to revive reform. But by then debates over process, cost, coverage and the role of government bogged it down. And then came the infamous Harry and Louise ad.
"People have been able to knock everything that's out there and scare people," Mitchell said. "People want universal coverage, and they want cost containment, and they want it to be affordable."
"There's a lot of confusion and contradiction," Mitchell said on "This Week With David Brinkley." Mitchell also expressed optimism for increased bipartisanship as the final vote approached.
Watch this excerpt from Aug. 7, 1994, when David Brinkley, George Will and Sam Donaldson interviewed Sen. Mitchell and Rep. Gephardt on their final push for health care reform, the latest clip pulled from the "This Week" archives.
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