[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 161 (Wednesday, October 18, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H10210]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               MEDICARE: DO NOT SURRENDER OUR COMMITMENT

  (Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is ironic I follow my 
colleague from Arizona.
  I rise today to present 5,000 signatures from people in the 
congressional district that I represent and the surrounding community 
in Texas. On Monday I visited a senior citizens center and was 
presented these petitions and signatures from senior citizens and 
working families. They signed their names to these petitions because 
they are concerned about the broad cut and the extreme reversal of 
Medicare that is going to be voted on tomorrow in this House.
  In the 30 years since enactment of Medicare, we transformed what it 
means to be old in this country. We have lifted our senior citizens out 
of poverty and restored their health and their dignity. Never again 
will seniors have to choose between food on the table and Medicare or 
health care, until tomorrow, because what we see today from the Speaker 
and the Republican majority is the surrender of that commitment between 
our Government and our seniors, because the majority feels it is so 
important to fulfill their campaign promise to provide a $245-billion 
tax cut and cut Medicare $270 billion.
  These petitions are from 5,000 hard-working Texans, and I hope we 
remember that tomorrow.

                          ____________________