[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 78 (Thursday, May 11, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H4802]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 DEMOCRATS WILL NOT BALANCE THE BUDGET ON THE BACKS OF SENIORS OR THE 
                                  POOR

  (Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the new Republican majority has 
shown great courage and guts, as we heard from another speaker, to cut 
and balance the budget. They are balancing their budget by making 
significant cuts in Medicare, the cost of living for Social Security, 
education funds, and job training funds. That takes a lot of guts and 
courage to pick on the least fortunate of our society.
  The Republican majority call their drastic budget cuts in Medicare 
slow growth. Either way, it is less money for the next 7 years than 
expected for the growth in senior citizens, so it is a cut, whether we 
call it that or not. Medicare is not a bank to be raided by the 
Republicans, just because they want to pay for a tax cut.
  The Republican majority also changes the way the Consumer Price Index 
is calculated, ultimately cutting the COLA's for seniors. I thought our 
new leadership told us Social Security would be sacred.
  I want everyone in Congress to know that Democrats want to work with 
Republicans, but we refuse to balance the budget on the backs of 
Medicare, on the backs of cost of living for seniors, or education 
funding, or the least fortunate of our society.

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