[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 165 (Tuesday, October 24, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H10694]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      THE BUDGET DEBATE: REMEMBER THE ELDERLY, POOR, AND DISABLED

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Florida [Mrs. Thurman] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. THURMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my outrage at the 
Republican tactics in this so-called budget debate. This week we will 
vote on the Republican proposal to cut Medicaid funds by $182 billion 
and block grant the Program.
  The elderly, the disabled, and the poor children of America have had 
no voice in this debate. They have been lost in the rhetoric of the 
majority party.
  The Republicans talk about choice and freedom for the States. 
However, the only choice the States will have is either to raise State 
taxes to remedy the cuts or kick people off Medicaid.
  The Republicans do not want to talk about the people who need 
Medicaid.
  They do not want to talk about the grandmother in a nursing home, or 
the disabled child in your neighborhood, or the pregnant woman in need 
of prenatal care.
  The Republicans do not want you to know that they are removing 
Federal standards for nursing homes or that they are not requiring 
States to cover Medicare premiums for the poorest seniors.
  The truth is, when we move from a shared system based on individual 
needs to a capped system that shifts the problem to the States, States 
will have to deny maternity services, early childhood care, assisted 
living benefits, and long-term care to some of our most vulnerable 
citizens. More than 2\1/2\ million people in Florida depend on Medicaid 
for basic health care, and because our population is growing so 
quickly, this number is increasing every day. In Florida, over 110,000 
seniors rely on the Medicaid payments for their Medicare premiums 
repealed by the Republican plan. Almost 400,000 children depend on 
Medicaid coverage for check-ups, immunizations, and emergencies. By the 
year 2000, Florida is expected to provide long-term care to as many as 
380,000 seniors.
  Yet one-half of the total Medicaid cut of $182 billion will come from 
my State of Florida and seven other States.

  Under the Republican capped block grant, the reality is that Florida 
will have to either kick people off Medicaid, or make up the shortfall 
with State tax money.
  Basing the 1996 Medicaid funding formula on 1994 statistics ignores 
the growth in Florida during the last year. It puts us in a huge 
financial hole from the start by simply ignoring our $2 billion in new 
expenses this year. As a result, Florida will lose more than $10.5 
billion in Medicaid funds over the next 7 years, a 26-percent 
reduction. Quite frankly, it is not fair.
  The inequality of the funding formula is blatantly apparent. If you 
abused the system in the past, you get rewarded under the Republican 
formula. The more money a State was able to pilfer from the system 
under the current rules, the higher the baseline for its block grant. 
How can you possibly call that reform?
  Of course, there are penalties in the plan. The penalties are for 
playing fair, working hard to contain costs, and obeying the rules. The 
poor, the elderly, and the disabled will be the ones paying these 
penalties.
  We have tried to reason with our colleagues on the other side of the 
aisle, especially those from Florida who know our situation. We have 
tried to appeal to their sense of compassion and encouraged them to 
consider what will happen to Florida under this formula.
  In 2 days, when I come to this House to vote against these cuts, I 
will remember the faces of those elderly, poor, and disabled in my 
district who will be denied health services and long-term care under 
this plan. Since my Republican colleagues are so anxious to secure tax 
cuts for the wealthy, I wonder whom they will be thinking of.

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