[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 154 (Friday, September 29, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H9675]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                REPUBLICANS ASSAULT ON WORKING FAMILIES

  (Ms. PELOSI asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to express grave concern over 
the Republican assault on working families through their harmful 
Medicare and Medicaid proposals. Consider the way in which the 
Republican Medicaid legislation, which passed the Committee on 
Commerce, leaves the elderly and their families unprotected.
  Madam Speaker, elderly people with incomes of less than $625 per 
month would lose their guarantee to assistance in paying their monthly 
Medicare premiums. Five million women in America depend on Medicaid to 
pay their Medicare premiums each month.
  In addition to this, there is the problem of nursing home care. In 
addition to lifting standards for nursing homes, there would be no more 
guarantee of coverage for nursing homes, there would be no more 
guarantee of coverage for nursing home care after an individual or 
family has spent all of its savings. There would be no more guarantee 
that spouses of nursing home residents would be able to retain enough 
monthly income to remain in the community.
  Madam Speaker, States would be allowed to place liens on the homes, 
family homes and family farms. States would be allowed to require the 
adult children of nursing home residents to pay for their parents' 
nursing home care, about $40,000 a year. And all of this in order to 
give a tax break to the wealthiest Americans.

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