[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 123 (Thursday, July 27, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H7807]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                              {time}  1020
  REPUBLICANS NOW ENGAGED IN DAMAGE CONTROL REGARDING CUTS TO MEDICARE

  (Mr. LEVIN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, it is really damage control that they are 
engaged in. Those who are trying to cut Medicare massively are now 
trying to cover their tracks with deception. The majority party is now 
working with a group calling itself the Senior Coalition and it is 
passing around what they call ``the Pledge to save Medicare.''
  Testimony from this group a few weeks ago before the Committee on 
Ways and Means came out in support of $270 billion in the Republican 
cuts, though they did not know what was in the cuts. This pledge says: 
``Let's increase Medicare spending for beneficiaries, even though the 
$270 billion cut would increase copayments and deductible for 
seniors.'' This so-called pledge talks about maintaining the current 
Medicare fee-for-service system, even though the $270 billion in cuts 
would squeeze the option of fee-for-service for seniors. The majority 
party is on the run. There is no place to hide; surely not behind a 
cloud of deception.

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