[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 76 (Tuesday, May 9, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H4557]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




REPUBLICANS TRY TO REFORM A HUGE MAGICAL ILLUSION IN ATTEMPTING TO CUT 
                                MEDICARE

  (Mr. DOGGETT asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, when it comes to attempts to cut Medicare 
for our Nation's seniors, our Republican colleagues are trying to 
perform one huge magical illusion. I like magic tricks just about as 
much as the next person, but I prefer to see them in the circus, not 
here on the floor of Congress.
  Let us take a look at what is up the sleeves of the Gingrichites. 
They want to cut Medicare to 37 million seniors by about $900 each 
year. This painful cut is for the very men and women who we have been 
celebrating on this 50th anniversary of our victory in Europe, people 
that we here applauded, who fought for this country abroad, or who 
worked for it here at home.
  Yet, at this very time we find in the Committee on the Budget 
scheduled for tomorrow here in the House the Gingrichites' proposal to 
cut the Medicare benefits that are so critical to these senior 
citizens.
  I would say that David Copperfield should beware, because with the 
kind of magic being performed here and the kind of illusion here, this 
is an act that is ready for the Las Vegas strip.

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