[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 161 (Wednesday, October 18, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H10213]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1030
                 MEDICARE ONLY NEEDS A $90 BILLION CUT

  (Mr. MILLER of California asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, as the House gets ready to 
vote on the Medicare proposals coming from the Republicans and the 
Committee on Ways and Means, it has become crystal clear what exactly 
is taking place now. It has become very clear you do not need to cut 
$270 billion from Medicare to preserve it to the year 2006. We now see 
that that can be done for somewhere in the range of $90 billion.
  So what is it that is happening to the other $170 billion that the 
Republicans are taking out of Medicare? What has become clear is this 
is the means by which they can provide the tax cut, the predominant 
benefits of which go to the wealthiest people in this country, and 
still balance the budget. They cannot afford a tax cut. This country 
cannot afford a tax cut. We can only make room for that tax cut if we 
take an additional $170 billion out of Medicare. That is unconscionable 
and it is wrong and it should be rejected.

                          ____________________