[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 153 (Thursday, September 28, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H9651-H9652]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                REPUBLICANS PROPOSE CUT IN MEDICARE PLAN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Bunn of Oregon). Under a previous order 
of the House, the gentleman from Alabama [Mr. Hilliard] is recognized 
for 5 minutes.
  Mr. HILLIARD. Mr. Speaker, the general public is outraged at the 
Republicans' scheme to destroy Medicare, especially since it is common 
knowledge that the Republican proposal is cutting $270 billion from 
Medicare just to give wealthy persons a tax cut.
  The new and fresh Republicans are supposed to represent the people, 
not the Republican Party. Several recent polls indicate that the 
American public is highly skeptical of Republican efforts to cut 
Medicare.
  Let us listen to what the American people are saying as set out by a 
series of independent polls that have recently been taken. Seventy-one 
percent of Americans have very little or no trust at all in House 
Republicans to handle the Medicare financing problems. This was a poll 
taken by the Associated Press.
  Sixty-eight percent of Americans place no trust in the Republicans on 
the issue of Medicare. This is by a Time/CNN poll.
  Fifty-three percent of Americans oppose the Republican plan to offer 
vouchers to seniors as a way of reducing costs. This is an NBC/Wall 
Street Journal poll.
  Only 19 percent of Americans offered support for a Republican plan to 
make large cuts in Medicare. Yes, this is by Time/CNN. CNN, right in 
the heart of the South.
  Seventy-five percent of Americans oppose cutting Medicare to pay for 
tax breaks. Once again, NBC/Wall Street Journal.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, 76 percent of Americans believe it is more 
important to maintain Medicare as it is than reducing the budget 
deficit. That needs to be repeated; 76 percent. That is from CBS.
  All of these polls are independent in nature. None of them have 
anything to do with the Republican or with the Democratic Party.

[[Page H 9652]]

  Mr. Speaker, the message is clear. The message from our fellow 
Americans is also clear. Americans throughout this country insist that 
the current Medicare plan that is in place be preserved as is. This is 
a message to each one of us as a Member of this body, disregarding 
party.

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