[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 124 (Friday, July 28, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10908-S10909]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO GEORGE ROMNEY

  Mr. ABRAHAM. Mr. President, it is with great sadness that I rise to 
note the passing of my good friend and mentor, former Michigan Gov. 
George Romney. George Romney will be remembered as one of Michigan's 
greatest citizens, a leader in government, a leader in business, and a 
leading advocate of his favorite cause, which was voluntarism.
  He was born in 1907 in a Mormon colony in Chihuahua, Mexico, but grew 
up moving with his family throughout the American Southwest. He worked 
hard to help his family, working in the sugar fields, and then went off 
to England as a missionary of his faith.
  Returning to America, he attended George Washington University, 
worked in this city for a time dealing primarily with tariff and 
manufacturing issues, and then went back to Michigan as a local manager 
of the Automobile Manufacturers Association.
  In Michigan, George Romney joined Nash-Kelvinator Corp., the 
forerunner of American Motors, in 1946. In 1954, he became AMC's 
president. From this position, he changed the way America drives, 
selling us on the ease and efficiency of compact cars.
  But George Romney was not content with his success in business. He 
was a public spirited man and wanted to do more to improve life in our 
State of Michigan. That is why he founded a nonpartisan group, Citizens 
for Michigan, which successfully pushed for a State constitutional 
convention. That convention rewrote Michigan's code of laws and watched 
George Romney's first successful bid for Governor. Twice more, he ran 
for Governor and twice more the people of Michigan showed their support 
for a man who put their interests first.
  But George's public service did not stop there. He went to Washington 
to serve in the President's Cabinet for over 4 years. Then leaving 
politics, he turned his attention to the great cause of his life, 
voluntarism.
  All of Michigan has benefited from George Romney's work, bringing 
communities and civic organizations together to encourage people to 
volunteer their time. George knew that it is public spirit that holds a 
community together, and he promoted that public spirit and the hard 
work that must support it wherever he went.
  Michigan's first lady, Michael Engler, joined him in this important 
work, as did other prominent people in Michigan.
  Interestingly, just last week, I met with George Romney in my office 
in the U.S. Senate. He was still working on that cause of voluntarism, 
and together we began working on legislation to promote voluntarism at 
our local communities and throughout the Nation.
  To the last, he was vital, energetic, and committed to improving 
people's lives.
  I convey my condolences today to the Romney family and everyone who 
cherished him as a friend. I am consoled, as I hope they are, by the 
many fond memories with which this good friend of Michigan and our 
Nation left us.
  As I said, Mr. President, just last week, I met with George Romney to 
discuss a legislative issue of great importance to him and one which I 
intend to continue in his memory, because I believe that the commitment 
he made to voluntarism is one that all of us in the U.S. Senate should 
do their part to advance.
  For all that we may do as paid public servants, it pales, in my 
judgment, in comparison to the things that voluntarists do to make life 
in our country better. The memory of George Romney for me will be of a 
man who did things for his community and for his State as a volunteer 
and made our lives better.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a 
quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, 30 years ago today the Senate passed the 
law creating Medicare. Two days later--on July 30, 1965--President 
Lyndon Johnson signed that bill into law.
  In doing so he made a quantum leap toward fulfilling the goal--first 
championed by President Truman--to end the scandal of poverty and poor 
health among older Americans. 

[[Page S 10909]]

  He also changed dramatically what it means to grow old in America, 
and to watch our parents grow old.
  Medicare helps seniors replace dependence with dignity, uncertainty 
with stability, and destitution with financial security.
  Over the last three decades--despite the turmoil of wars and 
recessions and even a crisis in our health care system--Medicare has 
survived to become one of the most popular--and successful--programs in 
our Nation's history.
  Ask America's families. They will tell you. Medicare is not some 
Great Society extravagance. It is the cornerstone of financial security 
and independence of older Americans and their families.
  Indeed, when you ask people what Medicare should look like in the 
21st century, most Americans say we should make only minor changes in 
the program--or no changes at all.
  The American people want us to preserve Medicare and strengthen it, 
not weaken it.
  They want us to honor the commitment we made 30 years ago to seniors 
and their families, not abandon it.


                    The Route to Passage of Medicare

  Passage of the Medicare bill did not come easily or quickly.
  It took 20 years. Twenty years from the time Harry Truman began the 
campaign for a national plan to provide affordable health care for all 
Americans.
  Although big-money special interests and their allies in Congress 
were able to block President Truman's plan by claiming falsely that it 
would mean ``socialized medicine,'' Democrats did not give up.
  Instead, we refocused our efforts on the area of greatest need: 
health security for America's seniors.
  In 1960, the Medicare concept gained an important supporter when 
then-Senator John Kennedy sponsored a Social Security approach to 
health care for the elderly.
  Again, Republicans invoked the fear of social welfarism.
  These criticisms only strengthened Kennedy's resolve. As a 
presidential candidate, he was even more determined to make Medicare a 
reality.
  Three times Kennedy requested passage of Medicare, and three times it 
was opposed in large measure by Republicans and defeated.
  In the short-run, President Kennedy's efforts failed. But they laid 
important groundwork for the final, successful push for Medicare's 
passage.
  After President Kennedy's death, President Johnson took up the fight.
  Though criticism of Medicare continued--some of it from Members who 
today serve in this chamber--President Johnson was undeterred. Congress 
finally passed the measure, and the bill was signed into law 30 years 
ago this Sunday.


                           Republican Budget

  It is a strange and sad irony that the Republican majority chose the 
year of Medicare's 30th anniversary to unveil a budget that threatens 
to severely weaken the program. Thirty years after its passage, we are 
fighting to preserve the one program that, more than any other, older 
Americans and their families count on for economic security.
  It was only a year ago that Republicans and Democrats alike spoke in 
this Chamber of the need to ensure health security for all Americans.
  Today, Republicans are rushing headlong in the opposite direction. 
Instead of extending coverage to all Americans, they are preparing to 
increase dramatically health costs for older Americans.
  In their drive to gain control of this Congress, Republicans assured 
us that any dollars they cut from Medicare would be plowed back into 
the program to strengthen and improve it.
  They promised to balance the budget, cut taxes, leave Social Security 
and defense spending untouched, and do no harm to Medicare.
  Many seniors hung their hats on this promise and gave the new 
majority the benefit of the doubt.
  Now we know the truth. We have seen draft Republican plans for 
Medicare. And we know that their promises to protect the program were 
hollow.
  What a way to say ``Happy Anniversary'' to Medicare and the people 
who support this program.


                    Faces of Medicare Beneficiaries

  There are many in this Chamber who would like to reduce the Medicare 
debate to numbers on a ledger. But this debate is about more than 
debits and credits. It is about people, and the promises we have made 
to them.
  Today's Medicare beneficiaries lived through the Great Depression and 
the Second World War. They established homes and built families. They 
always looked to the future instead of dwelling on the hardships of the 
past.
  Most are now retired and live on modest Social Security benefits, 
pensions, and savings. And most depend on Medicare as their primary 
source of health coverage.
  They do not live lives of leisure and luxury. Three-quarters of 
Medicare beneficiaries have incomes below $25,000 per year. Fewer than 
5 percent have incomes over $50,000.
  And each year, health care costs chew up a growing percentage of 
their incomes. The average senior today spends over 20 percent of his 
or her income on health care--even with Medicare coverage.
  For many seniors, the prospect of living without Medicare is 
unimaginable.
  What should they give up to pay their doctors bills? What would those 
who want to cut Medicare have older Americans do without?
  Food?
  Heat in the winter?
  Electricity?
  Should they not go to the doctor when they are sick?
  Should they not take the medicine they need?
  Our Republican colleagues say their Medicare cuts will not hurt 
anyone.
  That is not true.
  Cutting Medicare by $270 billion--which is what Republicans are 
proposing--will cost seniors nearly $900 per year in additional out-of-
pocket expenses--$900 a year from seniors living on fixed incomes so 
that we can give more tax breaks to the rich.
  Republicans will claim differently, that a more efficient program 
will absorb the cuts. But their numbers simply do not add up.
  They call it reform. I call it what it is: an insurance hike.
  Money to pay for higher premiums will not materialize out of thin 
air. It will come out of Social Security checks. Or, it will come out 
of the savings seniors worked so hard for--savings they are counting on 
to last the remainder of their lives.
  This is the human side of the Medicare debate.
  It is a side of the discussion that makes some of us feel 
uncomfortable, and rightfully so. But it is a side we must recognize 
and address. We owe it to our Nation's seniors.


                               Conclusion

  It is true that everyone must sacrifice if we are to balance our 
budget.
  No one knows about change and sacrifice more than older Americans. 
They did what was necessary to make the blessings of that freedom 
available for us today.
  All they are asking in return from us now is that we keep our promise 
to them.
  When President Johnson signed the Medicare legislation 30 years ago 
in Independence MO, standing next to him was President Truman, the man 
who had 20 years earlier staked so much of his own Presidency on health 
security for all Americans.
  After the bill had been signed, President Truman turned to President 
Johnson and said, ``You have made me a very, very happy man.''
  When I look at what some Republicans are preparing to do to Medicare, 
I wonder what Harry Truman would say today?

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