[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 124 (Friday, July 28, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S10904]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                      MEDICARE'S 30TH ANNIVERSARY

 Ms. MIKULSKI. Mr. President, today, we celebrate the 30th 
anniversary of the passage of Medicare by the Congress. Thirty years 
ago, Members of this body took a courageous step and guaranteed health 
insurance coverage to seniors and the disabled--regardless of a 
person's income, regardless of a person's illness.
  The struggle was not an easy one. In fact, it took 30 years of 
struggle by Democrats to pass Medicare. Through the unwavering 
leadership from Presidents Roosevelt, Truman, Kennedy, and Johnson, 
Medicare was finally signed into law.
  What does Medicare mean to the seniors of Maryland and this country? 
Let me tell you.
  Earlier this week, I visited senior centers in Maryland. I talked 
about the 30th anniversary of Medicare. And I listened to the seniors--
who told me what it means to them to have Medicare coverage and of 
their concerns about the proposed cuts to Medicare.
  Mr. President, who is going to speak for the senior couple in 
Catonsville, MD, who do not know if they will be able to afford higher 
Medicare premiums, particularly given all the out-of-pocket expenses 
like for prescription drugs that Medicare doesn't even cover?
  Who is going to speak for the widow I met at the Liberty Road Senior 
Center in Baltimore County that needs cataract surgery that can save 
her eyesight and doesn't know if Medicare will be there to pay for it?
  And, Mr. President, who is going to speak for the sons and daughters 
of these seniors who after these cuts may be forced to balance the 
financial demands of helping their parents pay deductibles and 
copayments for necessary lab and screenings and the financial needs of 
their own children?
  Mr. President, I am going to speak out--and speak out loudly and 
forcibly--for these seniors, their families, and their health care.
  Medicare is a unique American success story. Let us not turn back the 
clock on this success. We should not be talking about downsizing and 
degrading Medicare.
  On this 30th anniversary, we should be talking about innovations and 
improvements. I, personally, would like to see a prescription drug 
benefit and coverage for prostate cancer screenings, and we desperately 
need a long-term care policy.
  Instead we are facing cuts that mean seniors will pay significantly 
more for the privilege of keeping their own doctor or going to the 
hospital of their choice. That is no choice at all. That is not the 
American way and that is not what Medicare is about.
  Medicare is a commitment to America's seniors. Medicare says that in 
America, if you are over 65 or disabled, no matter what your income, we 
will stand by your side and you will get the health care you need. I 
intend to fight to keep this commitment. I intend to keep the ``care'' 
in Medicare.
  This year, we are not only celebrating the 30th anniversary of 
Medicare, but we are also celebrating the 50th anniversary of the end 
of World War II. Fifty years ago, the Medicare generation organized, 
mobilized, and saved Western civilization. Now is the time once again, 
for all of us to organize, mobilize, and save health care for our 
seniors. Just as in the days of World War II, the GI Joe generation--
the current Medicare generation--hunkered down and was committed to the 
cause. So must we.
  I am here on the floor today to tell you that I am committed to the 
mission and meaning of Medicare. I am ready to fight the good fight. 
And I am prepared to do whatever is necessary to preserve and protect 
the health care benefits of seniors in Maryland and throughout this 
Nation.


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