[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 153 (Thursday, September 28, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H9595]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        DEMOCRATS THREATEN VIABILITY OF THE PROGRAM THEY CREATED

  (Mr. HOKE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. HOKE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to quote another publication this 
morning. This is the Washington Post, and this is written by our former 
colleague, who was with us last year, Mr. Tim Penny, former Democratic 
Representative from the State of Minnesota, and he says:

       Medicare has been a success, helping to provide health care 
     to millions of Americans who otherwise could not afford it. 
     Yet today, with Medicare facing a financial crisis, Democrats 
     are playing politics instead of coming up with constructive 
     solutions. As the architects of Medicare, we have a 
     responsibility to shore up the program before it collapses.

  He goes on to say that:

       Members of both parties should work together on this 
     important issue, just as Republicans joined Democrats in 
     voting for Medicare in 1965. Unfortunately, Democratic 
     leaders in Congress have decided otherwise, choosing to 
     attack Republican Medicare plans rather than offering an 
     alternative. By politicizing the issue, Democrats are 
     threatening the viability of the very program they created.

  Mr. Speaker, this is from former Representative, Democrat, Tim Penny 
of Minnesota.
  What I would say, on top of that, is that not only is it bad policy 
what is being done here in terms of the Democrats attack, it is also 
bad politics. It is not going to work.

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