[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 161 (Wednesday, October 18, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H10304-H10305]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                A VOTE AGAINST REPUBLICAN MEDICARE PLAN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from West Virginia [Mr. Wise] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. WISE. Mr. Speaker, reflecting the many calls and letters that our 
office has been getting over the past few months, I am going to be 
voting no tomorrow against the proposal to cut $270 billion out of the 
Medicare plan, much of that money to go to a $245 billion tax break 
essentially for the wealthiest individuals in the country. While I do 
support the means-testing provisions of part B, I also acknowledge to 
those who are in the upper income areas, they are going to get far more 
back in the tax cut than what they ever pay out in part B and they will 
be the only group so protected under this Medicare plan.
  Mr. Speaker, I oppose this for a number of reasons. During my two-day 
Medicare-A-Van in West Virginia, I learned a lot of things. I learned, 
for in stance, that the first cut by the hospital shows that they will 
lose roughly $600 million out of this, and this is just the hospital 
provision alone, and this does not even include the upcoming $4.4 
billion Medicaid cut that they are going to get. I learned about the 
hospitals that derive 60 to 65 percent of their revenues from Medicare 
and Medicaid. I learned about the 300,000 West Virginia seniors that 
are going to be affected, that could be paying as much as $1,000 more 
out of pocket by the end of this 7-year program, by those who will see 
part B premiums go up and they may lose their low income protection and 
help in paying for them, those who could be forced into managed care. 
And, yes, younger families paying more for their loved elder relatives. 
All of that, Mr. Speaker. On top of that, a last-minute deal with the 
American Medical Association means that seniors no longer will be 
protected from doctors who want to charge more than what Medicare 
permits them to charge presently.

  I learned, too, Mr. Speaker, that you have got to look beyond what is 
being said. When some people say that the trustees make them do it, the 
trustees said do something about Medicare in 7 years but the trustees 
also said you can do it with $90 billion, not $270 billion of cuts 
which are being proposed.
  I learned, for instance, Mr. Speaker that when those people say that 
well, Democrats have not done anything about it, nine times since 1980 
have Democrats and Republicans taken bipartisan action to save 
Medicare. We did it again only 2 years ago with $60 billion of 
reductions.
  Mr. Speaker, the Speaker himself talks about the tax cut being a 
crown jewel of the Contract With America. Well, Mr. Speaker, this crown 
jewel is being bought on the installment plan. It is being paid for 
over 7 years and 100 percent of all senior citizens are paying for a 
tax cut that basically 1.5 percent of those individuals, those earning 
over 100,000 will get the benefit of.
  This ain't home shopping, it's not cubic zirconium, it's expensive 
stuff and every senior citizen is going to pay for it. That is why I am 
voting against a Medicare cut of $270 billion to pay for a tax break of 
$245 billion.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the distinguished 
gentlewoman from Texas [Ms. Jackson-Lee].
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE. I thank the gentleman from West Virginia. I applaud 
his willingness to listen to his constituents. I clearly believe that 
we have a situation where a picture is worth a thousand words. I would 
simply say that we are now facing tomorrow, October 19, a day of 
infamy.
  What we faced on October 11, 1995, maybe the Republicans do not 
understand it but Americans do. You simply look at the face of this 
woman, a senior citizen being locked up in the People's House, the 
United States Congress, locked up and taken away. Because she simply 
wanted to protest $270 billion going for tax cuts to people making up 
to $500,000. This is worth a thousand words.
  Then we ask the question about whether there have been hearings. I 
have heard 38 hearings and 40 hearings and on and on and on. Let me 
tell you that tonight 900 some pages came out at 11:25 tonight, 900 
some pages of a bill that is supposed to be voted on tomorrow. We have 
got a number of hearings for Ruby Ridge, for Waco, for White Water. But 
for putting senior citizens out on the street for their health care, we 
have got 1 day of hearing. No democracy exists in this Congress. It is 
a day of infamy. This is the concern we have. It is time to turn the 
tide.


                             point of order

  Mr. HOKE. Mr. Speaker, I have a point of order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman will suspend. The point of 
order will not come out of your time. The gentleman will state his 
point of order.
  Mr. WISE. Mr. Speaker, the clock is ticking.
  Mr. HOKE. Mr. Speaker, the point of order is that when there is less 
than 10 minutes left at the end of the hour, before the suspension of 
the hearings for the day, then that time is supposed to be split evenly 
between the minority and the majority.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair has been very diligent in going 
back and forth between the majority and the minority throughout the 
time allotted for special orders.
  Mr. HOKE. Mr. Speaker, that is not the point. The point of order is 
that when there is less than 10 minutes remaining----
  Mr. WISE. Mr. Speaker, the point is that the time is going until 
midnight and it is coming out of our time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman's time will be protected.
  Mr. HOKE. But when there is less than full time, to be equally 
divided for 5 minutes on each side, the time must be equally divided on 
each side.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair has ruled. We have gone back and 
forth evenly between the majority and the minority.
  Mr. HOKE. Then the time should have expired on that side.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time has been shared evenly all evening.
  Mr. HOKE. Does that mean you are going to extend beyond the midnight 
hour?

[[Page H 10305]]

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. No, it does not. On the majority, all 
requests for the 5-minute time have been used. No other majority Member 
has requested a 5-minute time slot.
  Mr. HOKE. I thank the Speaker.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman will proceed and her time 
will be protected.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE. Mr. Speaker, might I conclude simply as I look at 
this chart, indicating that with the 930-plus-something bill that was 
just issued tonight, we have 1 day of hearings.
  But simply, Mr. Speaker, let me say the Republican plan is going to 
put at least 1 million citizens in the jeopardy of losing Medicare. It 
is going to cause hospitals around this Nation through the Medicaid 
cuts to lose some $28 million. Then lastly let me say that what are we 
doing all this for? Why are we locking up this citizen in the U.S. 
Capitol? Why do we have this 1 day? To give $19,000 in tax breaks to 
those making over $500,000 a year, a travesty, a day in infamy. 
Tomorrow vote ``no'' against the Republican Medicare plan.
  Mr. Speaker, I include the following statement for the Record:
  Mr. Speaker, if I could find the words, I would tell you exactly how 
infuriated I am at the legislation by fiat which seems to be taking 
place within these noble halls. When the Founding Fathers came together 
and created the Government that we have today, I am positive that they 
did not intend to have legislation dictated by the whims and desires of 
a few individuals. As I recall, wasn't that the very cornerstone of the 
American Revolution?
  I am appalled at the backroom, cloak-and-dagger shenanigans which 
seem to be the rule of the day. When H.R. 2425 was reported out of 
committee, I am sure that the members who voted in favor of the bill 
and its amendment thought that what they were voting on was what would 
be brought to the floor. I am sure that when Democrats and Republicans 
alike voted to improve this legislation by approving Mr. Ganske's 
amendments, which would have made it more difficult for managed care 
organizations to deny payment services, they were doing what they were 
elected to do--represent their constituents to the best of their 
ability. How dare others within this body assume that responsibility 
for them.


                             participation

  The Republican plan will simply put at least 1 million seniors in 
jeopardy of losing all health care coverage.
  Premiums would increase for all seniors from $46.01 to at least $87 
by 2002, which is $26 more than the current law. How many seniors will 
not be able to afford decent primary care because of this increase?
  Deep cuts in reimbursement rates to doctors and hospitals will cause 
these health providers to turn seniors away--effectively limiting their 
choice.
  The Senate plan also includes higher deductibles and copayments for 
services such as home health care, lab tests and nursing services.
  Seniors will be paying more for less coverage. Medicare payments to 
beneficiaries will be cut by $1,700 in 2002, forcing spending to grow 
33 percent slower than in the private sector. What kind of health care 
can be bought at such low rates.
  Not one penny of the increase in beneficiary premiums will help the 
part A trust fund--all of the savings will go for a tax cut to give a 
$19,000 tax cut to those making $500,000.
  Medicaid--The average senior citizen has an annual income of $13,000 
a year and the elderly poor would lose the protection that Medicaid 
gives them.
  Medicaid--Even if the States are able to absorb half of the proposed 
reductions in Medicaid funding, the system will still have to cut 8.8 
million people off of the Medicaid rolls by 2002. That includes 4.4 
million children; 920,000 senior citizens; and 1.4 million disabled 
children and adults.


                            small hospitals

  Over the 7 years, a typical urban hospital will lose up to $28 
million.
  These reductions will drastically hurt many small hospitals which 
depend upon Medicaid and Medicare payments for their survival. If these 
important hospitals should become an endangered species, people in 
these neighborhoods may be without ready health care.

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