[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 116 (Tuesday, July 18, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H7077]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                     SAVE MEDICARE FROM BANKRUPTCY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Georgia [Mr. Norwood] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. NORWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor this morning with the 
people back home in mind. For me, home is Augusta, GA, and the 10th 
District of Georgia. I must tell you how wonderful it was for me to be 
home this past weekend. Spending time with the hard-working people of 
the 10th district serves to strengthen my resolve, that what we are 
doing here in the next few months is what is right for America.
  Mr. Speaker, I would ask the people of America to consider the facts 
of our situation. We are 5 trillion dollars in debt. Fifteen cents of 
every dollar we spend goes to interest on the debt. The problem of the 
debt continues to grow out of control. Consider this: On February the 
6th, I came to the floor in support of the line-item veto. In my 
remarks, I noted that the students in Sallie Bullock's calculus class 
at Madison County High in Danielsville, GA, already collectively owe 
$310,760. I noted that Mary Mills' 5th grade class at Oconee County 
Intermediate School in Watkinsville, GA, already owes $365,600. I noted 
that Martha Scroggs' kindergarten class at Episcopal Day School in 
Augusta already owes $457,000. Since I gave that speech 5 short months 
ago, Sallie Bullock's students owe an additional $7,600; Mary Mills' 
students owe an additional $8,940; and Martha Scroggs' students owe an 
additional $11,175.
  Mr. Speaker, what did those children do to earn that additional debt? 
How can we so thoughtless saddle children just out of kindergarten with 
more and more debt? It is immoral and we must bring that to an end by 
balancing our budget.
  Mr. Speaker, it is simply a matter of fact that Medicare will go 
bankrupt in 7 years. It is a documented fact in a report put out by the 
Medicare trustees--three of whom are members of the Clinton 
administration. The solvency of Medicare is not a partisan issue. 
Medicare is going bankrupt. The Republicans have made a decision to fix 
Medicare. We will strengthen Medicare so that it may survive well into 
the next century. We must act to save the system now. Pretending that 
everything is all right is simply fantasizing.
  Mr. Speaker, on this day many centuries ago, Emperor Nero Played his 
fiddle while the great city of Rome burned to the ground. It appears 
that all these centuries later, some of my colleagues on the other side 
have decided to take up Emperor Nero's mantle. Some of my colleagues 
want to play games. Last week the other side issued the proclamation 
that if the we, the Republicans, don't speed up the reconciliation 
process then they will slow the business of the House down. Yes, 
America--that's right. If we don't speed up; they will slow things 
down.
  Mr. Speaker, let me be the first to say that I will stay here 
morning, noon, and night to balance our budget and to save Medicare 
from bankruptcy. I will stay here through the weekends to balance our 
budget and to save Medicare from bankruptcy. I will be here until the 
cows come home--if that's what it takes to balance our budget and to 
save Medicare from bankruptcy. The future of our Nation is at stake--
and I would urge my colleagues to rise above the political games others 
may want to play. The business we are doing for America is too 
important to be sidetracked by those who would rather fiddle.


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