[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 122 (Wednesday, July 26, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H7795-H7796]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            SENIORS AT RISK

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Connecticut [Ms. DeLauro] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, this Sunday, we celebrate the 30th 
anniversary of the creation of Medicare. On this date in 1965, 
President Johnson, with former President Truman by his side, signed 
into law a historic piece of legislation that would dramatically 
improve the lives of America's seniors and their families.
  Look how far America's seniors have come in the latter part of this 
century. In 1955, only 46 percent of our Nation's elderly had health 
insurance coverage. By 1994, 97 percent of our seniors were covered. 
Medicare has made the difference.
  In 1965, one in three senior citizens lived in poverty, many having 
squandered their life savings on costly medical care. Today, only 1 in 
10 senior citizens live in poverty. Medicare has made the difference.
  For the last 30 years, Medicare has made a difference for millions. 
It is one Government program that has worked so well that people don't 
even think of it as a Government program at all. In fact, last year, 
when Democrats tried to pass health care reform, seniors called and 
wrote to say: ``We don't care what you do, just don't get government 
involved with Medicare.''
  Yes, Social Security and Medicare are Government programs. They are 
Government programs that work. Social Security and Medicare are the 
twin pillars of Democratic reform--one from the New Deal and the other 
from the Great Society. For decades these two programs have worked in 
tandem to ensure that our seniors are secure in their retirement.
  That's what this debate is all about: security. Making sure that our 
seniors are secure. But, Republican plans to privatize the Medicare 
system will remove the security we promised our seniors 30 years ago.
  Just ask your self: will higher medical bills make seniors more 
secure? Will lower levels of benefits make seniors more secure? Will 
losing their choice of doctor make seniors more secure?
  Will seniors be more secure when their copayments go from $46 to more 
than $100? Will seniors be more secure when they are asked to pay 
$1,000 more?
  The answer to all these questions is ``no.'' But, GOP opposition to 
the Medicare program should come as no surprise. Just look at the 
record.
  Thirty years ago, 93 percent of Republicans in this body voted 
against Medicare and instead supported a plan to privatize the system. 
Today, Republicans are closing in on a 30-year goal--to end the program 
they never wanted in the first place.
  In 1995, Republicans say they are cutting Medicare in order to save 
Medicare. They would like America to believe that they are simply 
pruning the Medicare plant so that it may grow healthy again. But, in 
reality, they are pulling Medicare out by its roots and using it as 
fertilizer for their favorite crop: tax cuts for the wealthy.
  This plan uses $270 billion of cuts to finance a $245 billion tax cut 
for the wealthy.
  Now, I believe that the solvency of the Medicare trust fund needs to 
be dealt with, but it needs to be dealt with in the context of health 
care reform. Medicare is growing at the rate 

[[Page H7796]]
it is, because it needs to keep pace with rising medical costs. The way 
to get a handle on rising medical costs is to reform our entire health 
care system, not to punish seniors by ``slowing the rate of growth'' of 
Medicare.
  Slowing the rate of growth is popular Washington-speak these days. 
Slowing the rate of growth means that the Government would only cover 
seniors' health care costs up to a certain amount. After that, seniors 
would be left to make up the difference out of their own pockets. 
Higher costs and lower level of services that's what slowing the rate 
of growth of Medicare would mean for America's seniors.
  Thirty years ago, the U.S. Government made a pact with America's 
seniors. We said: ``If you pay into this trust fund all of your working 
life, we will take care of you, when you can work no longer.'' Seniors 
have kept up their end of the bargain, but now Republicans in Congress 
want to walk away from the deal. Medicare is the real contract with 
America. Congress has no right to break that sacred pact.


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