[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 145 (Monday, September 18, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S13713]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              HEALTH CARE

  Mr. FORD. Mr. President, I understand where my friend from South 
Dakota comes from. But there is part A and part B under Medicare. Part 
A, we talk about the trustees and their reports. They gave us two 
reports. One is a $136 billion surplus today in part A; but in 7 years 
it will be down to minus $6 billion. Under part B, there is $17 billion 
in surplus today; and 7 years from now it will be $25 billion in 
surplus.
  The President has put out that he would want $89 billion in part A to 
make Medicare solvent for 10 years, and he has asked for a little bit 
more to make Medicare solvent. We agree with the problems of solvency. 
The President has three members on the board of trustees, or the 
commission, that reports to all of us annually. And so we have given a 
proposal. We do not want to take $270 billion out over 7 years. We do 
not want to cut another $240 billion out of Medicaid.
  So when you look at that, the reduction in the budget comes out of 
health care--comes out of health care. And something, in my opinion, 
has to be wrong when we are looking at children to be hurt, we are 
looking at the elderly to be hurt. And yet the headline in the 
Nashville Tennessean is, ``The GOP Plan Has Coddled the Rich and Socked 
It to the Poor.'' That is big 2-inch headlines across the banner of 
that newspaper.
  So when you say we have not given a program, it is out there. It is 
out there. And we are not scaring our old folks. We are trying to 
protect them. So, a little bit--a little bit is a whole lot better than 
trying to reach a tax cut. $240 billion is a figure we all want to 
remember--$245 billion. That is a tax cut. When you cut the expenditure 
of Government to balance the budget, that is one thing. And we are all 
for that. I am for it. But then you say you want to give a tax cut, 
that means you have got to cut more.
  So the problem now is not balancing the budget; the problem now is 
$245 billion that will be a tax cut. If we can get around to not using 
that or not giving it to the ultrarich, I think the balanced budget and 
the programs would go through very smoothly.
  There is no big argument about making Medicare solvent, no argument 
at all, but it is giving a $245 billion tax cut to the most wealthy in 
this country while you take a big hunk out of Medicaid.
  And I see the Alzheimer's patients under Medicaid, I see the 
Alzheimer's patients under Medicare. There are a lot of people in this 
Chamber that probably can use Medicare. I am of that age, others of 
that age. But the problem results in a $245 billion tax cut. If we did 
not have that, we would not have the problem. The ads would not be 
running. We would already have the appropriations bills out. We would 
be waiting for the conference to come back. We probably could meet our 
deadline of October 1 for the budget.
  I understand my time is probably up, and I thank the Chair for his 
friendly greetings.
  I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum, Mr. President.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

                          ____________________