[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 165 (Tuesday, October 24, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H10637-H10638]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       MEDICARE PRESERVATION ACT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of May 
12, 1995, the gentleman from Florida [Mr. Foley] is recognized during 
morning business for 5 minutes.
  Mr. FOLEY. Mr. Speaker, I have just concluded a number of town hall 
meetings in my district. I must say the response from my constituents 
was very favorable. My district is the sixth oldest district in America 
of Medicare recipients. Of the freshmen who came to the 104th Congress, 
I am No. 1 in seniors in my district.

[[Page H 10638]]

  Let me read to you an editorial from the Port Saint Lucie News, 
published by Scripps Howard, a prominent news gathering source around 
our Nation. The editorial says, ``Slowing down not stopping.'' If a car 
was going down the highway at 70 miles per hour, and the driver let up 
enough on the accelerator for the speed to be reduced to 65 miles per 
hour, would you then say the car had stopped? Well, if you are a 
Democrat Member of Congress, you probably would.
  Of course, if the Democrats conceded that this was just an instance 
of going slower, they may also have to concede that the Republicans are 
not planning to deprive the elderly whose savings have run out, and 
other poor people, of health care. The Democrats are making that case 
all over the land. It is preposterous and shameful.
  The real issue is that the budget cannot be balanced without reducing 
the growth rate of entitlement programs or increasing taxes 
astronomically. If the budget is not balanced, interest payments on the 
debt will eventually consume all of the Federal budget and leave no 
room for anything else. What do the Democrats plan to do then?
  I have received commentary from my districts through a newsletter we 
submitted to our constituents. Do you support the Medicare Preservation 
Act? They had four choices: strongly support, to strongly oppose. A 
gentleman, Oto Fredro, from West Palm Beach, FL, somewhat support. 
Would like to stay with the current Medicare plan. Oto, you can do that 
under the Republican's plan.
  Doug Weaver, strongly support, would consider a new plan like an HMO. 
Also urges us to decrease funding for the B-2 bomber. Decrease money 
for food stamps. Increase money for Medicare. Decrease money for 
foreign aid. Decrease money for welfare.
  Glenn Shaffer, Lake Placid, FL, strongly supports Medicare 
Preservation Act. But wants to stay in the current Medicare plan. 
Glenn, you get to stay in the current Medicare plan as you choose.
  Leonard Keal from Palm City, FL, strongly support. Again, wants to 
stay in the Medicare plan.
  Miriam Dunst, somewhat opposed, very skeptical about the plan, wants 
to stay with Medicare. She wants to have that choice. You can stay 
there and we appreciate your response.
  Joseph Cerzosie from West Palm Beach, FL, strongly opposes our plan, 
but would like to consider an HMO. Under the current plan, he cannot 
select an HMO. Under our plan, you can.
  Now, there has been a lot of talk about tax cuts. There has been a 
lot of talk about balancing Medicare in order to provide for the tax 
cuts. They are not related. The Post Times the other day did take on 
the President of the United States because, they said, he spent too 
much on the explanation of taxes, too little on principle. In one 
typically self-pitying moment, Bill Clinton demonstrated again last 
week why he is a President with many enemies and also few friends. 
He spent Tuesday night explaining that he had raised taxes too much.

  Folks in this Congress, the 104th Congress, the freshmen have come 
here to make a difference. We have problems in our system. Do I think 
the Republicans have solved all the problems in Medicare? Absolutely 
not. Do I think we have a silver bullet to erase years of wasteful 
spending in our system? Absolutely not.
  I want to target fraud, waste, and abuse in our bill. I want to 
strengthen the provisions that we brought to this floor, strengthen the 
provisions for fraud and abuse. Anyone who rips off our taxpayers 
should do jail time. Anyone who rips off our taxpayers in Medicare 
should have their licenses removed, be it a hospital, be it an 
insurance company, be it a provider.
  But, ladies and gentlemen, make no bones about it; when I come from 
the sixth oldest district in America and I had over 700 people attend 
my town hall meetings saying to me, help save Medicare, nobody is 
screaming at me. Nobody yelling at me. One of two people threatened to 
throw me out of office, which is the risk of this business. Nobody is 
saying that this was the horrible plan. They want explanations.
  One person got up in one meeting and said I had done a terrible thing 
and I was voting against him. The New York Times was with us, following 
that meeting. One person gets up to speak negatively about our plan, 
their headlines, tough Medicaid meeting. It was not a tough meeting. 
The public supports us, and I am proud to represent the 16th District 
of Florida.

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