[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 175 (Tuesday, November 7, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H11789]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             THE REPUBLICANS' ONGOING WAR AGAINST MEDICARE

  (Mr. BROWN of Ohio asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, 2 weeks ago this Congress cut $270 
billion in Medicare while increasing Pentagon spending $7 billion more 
than the Pentagon itself even asked for. Why? The Speaker has said and 
the Republican majority has said they want to preserve and protect 
Medicare. They want to save it by cutting it.
  Let us look at a bit to history. In 1965, when Medicare was created, 
87 percent of Republicans voted against its creation.

                              {time}  1415

  In the next 20 and 30 years, Republican Members of Congress continued 
to try to cut Medicare. In this year, Speaker Gingrich said, now, we 
did not get rid of Medicare in round one because we do not think that 
is politically smart, but we believe it is going to wither on the vine. 
That is why they are cutting Medicare. They are cutting Medicare in 
order to let it wither on the vine and they are cutting Medicare in 
order to give $245 billion in tax cuts to the wealthy. Mr. Speaker, it 
simply does not make sense.

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