[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 123 (Thursday, July 27, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H7808]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       DO NOT REPEAL MEDICARE, THE ORIGINAL CONTRACT WITH SENIORS

  (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, elected officials should listen 
more and talk less. I listened today while my Republican colleagues 
talked about how they intend to save Medicare. What they did not say is 
how they reduce expected needs of Medicare $270 billion over 7 years 
and still cut taxes $245 billion. Cut taxes, cut Medicare. Does that 
balance out?
  Medicare. There is an estimated $44 billion in fraud and abuse in the 
Medicare system. Maybe we do have some agreement on both sides, and we 
can cut fraud and abuse and still provide for senior health care. 
However, it also appears that the new Republican majority is cutting 
personnel in the Health Care Financing Administration, the GAO, who 
investigate the fraud in Medicare. Furthermore, the account in the 
Labor-HHS appropriation bill is $2 million below last year for finding 
fraud, waste, and abuse. We need to save Medicare by cutting the fraud, 
but only in Washington can a $270 billion cut be said it is to save the 
program. We do not need to repeal the original contract with American 
seniors in 1965. Happy birthday--Medicare.


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