[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 72 (Wednesday, May 3, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H4514-H4515]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          LEADERSHIP IS TOUGH

  (Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas asked and was given permission to address 
the House and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, leadership is tough. During the 
welfare reform, the Republican majority pulled seniors out of that 
legislation and I agreed with that decision. And now it appears 
Medicare is off the table to pay for tax cuts and budget reduction.
  The Republican majority, which is attempting to balance the budget by 
the year 2002, plan to cut $400 billion out of Medicare. The Republican 
majority is realizing what President Clinton, and a number of other 
Democrats, and I said last year, when we were first elected, that to 
have a balanced budget we must control health care costs.
  The Republican majority has promised not to cut Social Security or 
the military budget, and interest on the national debt, which is 20 
percent of our budget, has to be paid.
  Guess what? Medicare is 25 percent of everything left. And now they 
have promised not to tamper with that.
  In 1993, the Democrats made Medicare solvent for 3 more years, 
without 
[[Page H4515]] one Republican vote, and now they are criticizing the 
President and Democrats for not coming up with a plan before they 
introduce a budget.
  Today the majority criticizes us for not providing leadership on 
Medicare. Well, they are the majority. Leadership is tough. If the 
Republican majority wants to continue to live in a dream world and 
think that they can balance the budget without cutting health care 
costs, they need to come up with a plan. Medicare should not be a cut.


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