[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 117 (Wednesday, July 19, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H7182]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                                MEDICARE

  (Mr. EVERETT asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. EVERETT. Mr. Speaker, it is common knowledge that liberal 
Democrats have absolutely no plan to save Medicare. None. The closest 
they come to saving Medicare is Bill Clinton's alleged balanced budget. 
And even here, the Democrats would just delay Medicare bankruptcy by 
just 3 years--which is not really saving Medicare.
  We can also see that liberal Democrats will not even recognize the 
report of the Medicare Trustees that says Medicare will be stone, cold 
bankrupt in just 7 years.
  After all this, though, Democrats breathlessly defend this program 
and denounce any Republican effort to save Medicare. Well, my friends 
you can not have it both ways.
  If Democrats want to continue Medicare, but reject the Republican 
plan, you really only have three options: First, you must increase 
payroll taxes by 44 percent; or, second, you must immediately decrease 
Medicare spending by 30 percent; or, third, you must dramatically 
increase premiums paid by our seniors.
  Mr. Speaker, to Republicans none of these possibilities are 
acceptable. But they show why the Democrats have been so silent about 
honestly dealing with Medicare.

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