[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 154 (Friday, September 29, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H9674]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    A STEP BACKWARD IN MEDICAL CARE

  (Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. Madam Speaker, today in Washington with 
me is a constituent of mine, Frank DiPalo, Jr. Frank DiPalo will be 
testifying later this afternoon about the impact of the cuts on 
Medicare and Medicaid.
  Frank remembers the days when his parents could not retire because 
they could not afford to. Frank DiPalo remembers the days when senior 
citizens were drugged in nursing homes because they did not have 
adequate staff to maintain those nursing homes. What the Republicans 
are calling for is lifting the standards in these nursing homes that 
keep them home with dignity.
  Frank is going to speak out about what it is like for senior citizens 
with regard to out-of-pocket expenses for pharmaceutical drugs and the 
like, and Frank is going to say it is unjust for the Republicans to 
give a $245 billion tax cut, over 52 percent of which is going to go to 
families earning $100,000 or more, all while 85 percent of Medicare 
recipients get less than $25,000 and spend more than a quarter of that 
income on their health care expenses.

                          ____________________