[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 119 (Friday, July 21, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H7384]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                           PRESERVE MEDICARE

  (Mr. HOKE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. HOKE. Madam Speaker, where is the credibility on this issue? Let 
us go back to 1993, the last time we had any votes on Social Security. 
My friends on the other side of the aisle cut Social Security by $2 
billion, $2 billion that they took out of the paychecks of Social 
Security recipients.
  What have we done on this side of the aisle since the beginning of 
the 104th Congress with respect to seniors' issues? We have done two 
very important things. No. 1 is we, in fact, restored that $25 billion 
cut to Social Security recipients, and we also lifted the earnings test 
on the limitation for earned income for senior citizens.
  We have the credibility on this issue. The trustees of the President 
have made it clear that the Medicare trust fund cannot sustain the 
system. We do not have enough money on it. It is going broke. If we do 
not do something to strengthen, improve, save, preserve Medicare, we 
will not have a Medicare. Heavenly days, is it not our responsibility, 
is it not your responsibility to join in this effort to preserve 
Medicare.

                          ____________________