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that dinner a little over a year ago -- Finch is no longer the Secretary of HEW. He's an assistant to the President and nobody knows how much influence he has. Walter Reuther was killed in a terrible airplane accident in May. The National Committee, Committee for National Health Insurance is now chaired by Leoard Woodcock, the new president of the UAW, and the effort continues. A so-called health security bill was introduced in July by 15 Senators. It was a bill that was sponsored by the Committee for National Health Insurance. Among the Senators are Kennedy, Cooper, Saehsby and Yarborough. Kennedy semmed to be taking a lead in the matter and gave a speech introducing the bill on the Senate floor. He held some hearings, but actually the bill -- because he's on the Labor and Education Committee -- but actually the bill will be referred to Long's committee, Senate Finance, in the end.

Is that good or bad?

That's bad, because Long is a heavy drinker and everyone thinks that he probably isn't for it himself. It will be quite difficult to get it out of his committee, it is thought. However, there's a tremendous sentiment for a big major health in service bill, quite different from what there ever was before. It's been introduced in the House by Corman, and Corman is on the House Ways and Means Committee, and there are a number of other House sponsors. It's a bill that will surely pass in some form in the next two years, I would think.

There seems to be a consensus, doesn't there..