[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 128 (Thursday, August 3, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11321-S11322]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


 REPUBLICAN MEDICARE CUTS AND THE SO-CALLED COALITION TO SAVE MEDICARE

  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, today, the Republican disinformation 
campaign on Medicare went into high gear. The leaders of the Republican 
Party have entered into an unholy alliance with the insurance industry 
to raid Medicare by raising costs for senior citizens and turning 
Medicare over to private insurance companies.
  The overall Republican goal is to cut Medicare by $270 billion in 
order to pay for their $245 billion dollar tax cut for the wealthy. To 
achieve those harsh cuts in Medicare, senior citizens will be forced to 
pay more--far more--for the Medicare benefits they now receive. To line 
up the insurance industry on their side, the Republicans are offering 
the industry the chance to get its hands on Medicare and earn vast 
additional profits at the expense of senior citizens.
  The phony Republican coalition to save Medicare is now clear for all 
to see. It includes representatives of wealthy individuals and 
businesses who care about tax cuts, not senior citizens. It includes 
private insurance companies who want the elderly to be forced to give 
up Medicare and buy their policies.
  Republicans pretend they want to save Medicare. What they really want 
to save is their tax cut for the wealthy.
  Republicans pretend they want to restore the solvency of Medicare and 
save the trust fund. But I say, you cannot trust Republicans who talk 
about the trust fund. The Republican cuts in Medicare are deeper--far 
deeper--than any cuts needed to keep Medicare solvent.
  The fundamental issue is not keeping Medicare solvent--it is keeping 
Republicans away from Medicare.
  Democrats know how to keep Medicare solvent, and we will do it. We 
will do it without raising costs for senior citizens, without forcing 
senior citizens into HMO's without forcing them to give up their own 
doctors and without turning Medicare over to the tender loving hands of 
the private insurance industry.

[[Page S 11322]]

  The real question is trust. Do the American people trust Democrats to 
save Medicare--or do they trust Republicans? I believe the answer is 
clear. Democrats have earned the trust of America on Medicare, and we 
intend to honor that trust.


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