[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 158 (Thursday, October 12, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H9902]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       ARRESTS ON CAPITOL HILL MAKE A SAD DAY FOR SENIOR CITIZENS

  (Mr. PALLONE asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I was astonished yesterday, as a member of 
the Committee on Commerce, to watch while a group of about 15 or 20 
senior citizens came into the room, asked to speak, were denied the 
opportunity to speak or say anything about Medicare which is going to 
affect them so greatly, and then were told that they were going to be 
arrested, were actually arrested, handcuffed, put into a paddy wagon, 
and taken down to the Capitol Police to be booked or whatever.
  I know the charges were eventually dropped, but it was a very sad day 
to know there was really no opportunity for these seniors and for 
America's seniors in general to be heard on an issue so important as 
Medicare. Then I watched as the Republican leadership on the committee 
proceeded to mark up a Medicare bill that essentially destroyed 
Medicare as we know it. What that bill will do is to force most seniors 
into HMO's or managed care. It will make those who would like to 
continue to be able to choose their hospital, their doctor, in a 
traditional fee-for-service program more and more be squeezed out of 
that program where they have no choice. It is a sad day for America.

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