[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 61 (Tuesday, May 17, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: May 17, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                        DR. ELDERS SHOULD RESIGN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
February 11, 1994, the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Walker] is 
recognized during morning business for 5 minutes.
  Mr. WALKER. Mr. Speaker, our Surgeon General, Dr. Elders, was 
recently asked the following question. It was asked in this manner: 
This may not be germane, but it is close to it. Heart disease is the 
No. 1 killer in the United States, followed by all forms of cancer. Yet 
we are currently spending more money on AIDS research than either heart 
disease or cancer. Do you support shifting funds so that the Government 
spends the most money on the No. 1 killer rather than on the No. 9 
killer?
  Our Surgeon General, Dr. Elders, replied this way: ``We know that 
AIDS is a ravaging disease in our country that is destroying our bright 
young people. We have not found the cure for this disease. We do not 
have a vaccine for this disease. The only thing we have is education 
and to try and treat them as best we can. I feel that if we do not find 
a vaccine, do not find a good drug, and if we do not educate our bright 
young people, Senator, we are going to lose our entire society. And I 
feel that we must continue to invest in trying to find a way to take 
care of this disease in our society. And as you know, most of the 
people who die with heart disease and cancer are our elderly 
population, you know, and we all will probably die with something 
sooner or later.''
  Mr. Speaker, no wonder the administration's health program sees 
nothing wrong with rationing health care to senior citizens through big 
government bureaucracies. Now we know where that attitude comes from.
  Mr. Speaker, no wonder the Democratic chairman of the Committee on 
Ways and Means is talking about a massive restructuring of the Social 
Security program, reducing benefits to middle-class elderly Americans. 
Now we know where that attitude comes from.
  Mr. Speaker, evidently the Democrats have decided that the retired 
middle class are expendable, and now we know where that issue and that 
attitude come from.
  Mr. Speaker, everyone in our society should be required to pay their 
fair share and carry their fair share, young and old, rich and poor. 
But singling out older Americans as expensive and expendable cannot be 
tolerated.

                              {time}  1050

  It is time for the President to ask Dr. Elders for her resignation.

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