[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 98 (Thursday, June 15, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H5990]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


          SCARE MAIL ORGANIZATIONS DEFRAUDING SENIOR CITIZENS

  (Mr. EHLERS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. EHLERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to offer a few comments in a 
different vein. It arises because of concern for many of the senior 
citizens of this country, a group which I am on the verge of joining. 
Because I am on the verge of joining that group, I am beginning to get 
the mail which is often addressed to senior citizens, which I would 
call scare mail, but might more appropriately be called fraud mail.
  It is mail that is intended to frighten them about what is happening 
in Congress and to encourage them to send these organizations money so 
that they can communicate to use the concern that senior citizens have 
about losing Medicare, about losing Social Security, about losing 
Federal pensions, or what have you.
  It is a fraud. What brought this to mind is that recently a 
constituent sent me the $5 that was intended to go to the organization 
that was soliciting money from him.
  I want every senior citizen in this country to know, and every person 
in this country to know, you do not have to send money to any 
organization in order to get your message to us. Simply write us 
directly. I do not add any extra weight to a communication sent to me 
by one of these organizations. Constituents can write us directly and 
let us know. They do not have to send money to these fraudulent 
organizations.

                          ____________________