[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 117 (Wednesday, July 19, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H7184]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                            SAVING MEDICARE

  (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 pollsters have told the 
Republicans they need to start telling the American people they are 
saving the Medicare system. But do you save it by cutting it by $270 
billion? The American people are not stupid. The American people can 
clearly see that a $270 billion cut to their senior citizen health care 
system to finance a tax break is not saving the system.
  Only in ``Washington speak'' could the Republicans say this: We are 
cutting $270 billion from the Medicare system in order to save it from 
bankruptcy. And by the way, we are giving a $245 billion tax cut. But 
we are really saving Medicare by cutting it. How can the Republican 
majority make this palatable? They say, ``Tell the American people this 
is a steep cut to `save' the system.'' Great idea, but the people in my 
district are much smarter than that. You do not save Medicare by 
cutting $270 billion from it. The Republicans are not trying to save 
the Medicare system any more than Hugh Grant was asking for directions.

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