[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 152 (Wednesday, September 27, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H9508]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            GUTTING MEDICARE

  (Ms. BROWN of Florida asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, Webster's Dictionary defines the 
verb to cut as to hit sharply, to constrict, to reduce, to lessen, to 
hurt.
  I understand that the Republican leadership is unhappy about us using 
the word ``cut'' to describe the Republican's revolting and 
offensive Medicare plan. OK, fine. Maybe ``cut'' is not quite the right 
word. Well how about gut? According to Webster's, to gut is to 
demolish, to destroy. How do you like the word gut? The fact is that 
Republicans want to destroy Medicare's security and leave our seniors 
stranded to fend for themselves. Perhaps gut is a more appropriate 
word.

  Mr. Speaker, during the August recess, I held 13 town meetings and 
met with 3,000 of my constituents. My constituents told me that they 
are outraged about the Republican's reverse Robin Hood tactics--taking 
Medicare benefits from seniors in order to pay for a tax break for the 
wealthy.
  Republicans call it a cut in the growth of spending. They call it 
progress. I call it the good old-fashioned bait and switch.

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