[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 97 (Friday, July 22, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: July 22, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
         SENIORS WOULD FACE MORE CUTS UNDER HEALTH CARE REFORM

  (Mr. SHAW asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SHAW. Mr. Speaker, $480.7 billion. Almost half a trillion 
dollars.
  That is the amount the Ways and Means Committee approved cutting out 
of Medicare over the next 9 years to pay for a health care reform bill 
patterned after the President's.
  Mr. Speaker, it is no surprise the Democrats are running and hiding 
from this plan. Last night's declaration that the President's plan is 
dead should shock no one who is familiar with how it is financed--by 
slashing spending on seniors' health care services.
  Medicare has already been cut to the bone, and if the Medicare cuts 
promised in the Ways and Means plan go through, Medicare would be an 
even poorer payer than Medicaid is now. Under their plan, by the year 
2000, Medicare would pay only 55 cents on the dollar for seniors' 
health care services. Try finding anyone in any line of business who is 
willing to take 55 cents for a dollar's worth of work.
  When the majority leadership goes back to the drawing board in the 
next few days, they should heed a little advice--you cannot pay for 
health care for all Americans on the backs of seniors. It just will not 
work, and it will not pass this House.

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