[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 81 (Tuesday, May 16, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H4965-H4966]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                        PAIN FOR SENIOR CITIZENS

  (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, what the Republicans really 
want to do over the next six years is privatize and eliminate Medicare. 
A couple of weeks ago I saw Speaker Gingrich on TV saying the cuts in 
the budget were going to be large but painless. Painless for whom, I 
wonder, Not painless for seniors and not painless for children.
  [[Page H4966]] The cuts in the budget are certainly not painless for 
the seniors in my district or across the United States. In fact, the 
Republican majority has proposed to slow growth or, as most of us would 
say, dramatically cut billions from Medicare over the next 7 years.
  The Republican cuts would result in an increase in copayments, 
deductibles, and premiums for senior citizens in Houston, TX and across 
the country. The budget plan is a broken promise to working families 
and their parents.
  The Republican majority has promised us they would balance the budget 
without devastating families and senior citizens. That is one promise 
they cannot say they kept. While I understand and promote the need for 
a balanced budget, there is a right way and a wrong way to do it. 
Balancing the budget on the backs of senior citizens while you give tax 
breaks is not what the American people want or hopefully the Republican 
majority would want.

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