[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 152 (Wednesday, September 27, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H9571-H9572]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     REPUBLICANS WILL GET MEDICARE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Florida [Ms. Brown] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, the 104th Congress came here with 
a mission: to balance the budget. I don't think there are many who 
would disagree that balancing the budget is a top priority. But I 
cannot, in good faith, balance the budget on the backs of the poor 
women, children, the elderly, and the disabled--people who need help 
the most. It is wrong for this Congress to abandon Americans in need.
  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 Republicans' revolting and offensive 
Medicare plan. OK, fine, Maybe cut is not quite the right word. Well 
how about g-u-t? 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 Republicans' reverse Robin Hood tactics--taking 
Medicare benefits from seniors in order to pay for a tax break for the 
wealthy.
  The Republicans are trying to pull the wool over the eyes of 37 
million of our Nation's seniors. Many of these folks will be forced to 
give up their doctors, premiums will rise, as will deductibles and 
copayments. For many of our Nation's low-income seniors, these cuts 
will be devastating. A thousand dollars extra per year is not small 
change.

  Republican call it a cut in the growth of spending. I call a sneaky 
attempt to fool seniors. They say they are offering seniors choices. 
The truth is that seniors will pay more and get less. They call it 
progress. I call it a good old-fashioned bait and switch.
  You know, the Republican Medicare plan reminds me of an old saying: 
you can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can't fool 
all of the people all of the time. The American people will not be 
fooled by this game being played with the health care of the elderly.
  Mr. Speaker, we are sent here to Congress to be a protector of the 
people. Thirty years ago, when President Lyndon Johnson signed Medicare 
into law, Congress made a social contract with the seniors of our 
Nation. Well, guess who opposed Medicare in 1965? The Republicans. Even 
before that, during the Eisenhower and Truman administrations, the 
Republicans opposed passing Medicare. That's why it's no surprise 

[[Page H 9572]]
to me that the Republicans are trying to gut Medicare now. Now, when 
the program serves as a security blanket for 37 million Americans. Now, 
when Medicare serves as a lifeline to our seniors. Well, let me say 
this to my Republican colleagues: we cannot balance the budget on the 
backs of our seniors. We should be celebrating and embracing our 
seniors, not stabbing them in the back by taking away their health 
care.

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