[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 193 (Wednesday, December 6, 1995)]
[House]
[Pages H14144-H14145]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   SENIOR CITIZENS RIGHT TO WORK ACT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Fox] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. FOX of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, a very historic act was passed 
this week with the bipartisan assistance of Members of both sides of 
the aisle, the Senior Citizens Right To Work Act, H.R. 2684. This 
legislation will address the problem that current tax laws impose harsh 
penalties on senior citizens, especially those who continue to work 
beyond the age of 65. After years of hard work and valuable 
contributions to our Nation, Mr. Speaker, working senior citizens 
should not be penalized. We should be encouraging, not discouraging, 
seniors to make a better life for themselves. That is what our great 
country is founded upon, pursuing the American dream. As Federal 
legislators we must be committed to helping seniors maintain their 
independence and quality of life. That is why I was proud to speak to 
help support with my colleagues, Republicans and Democrats alike, H.R. 
2684.
  What this will allow, Mr. Speaker, is current law says that those 
seniors under 70 that are currently making funds up to $11,280, there 
are no deductions from their Social Security, but if they make a dollar 
over, there is going to be a deduction. Under this new legislation a 
modern approach was taken. What will happen is seniors, over the 

[[Page H 14145]]
next 7 years, will be able to earn up to $30,000 a year without 
deductions from Social Security.
  There is another initiative by the U.S. House of Representatives to 
in fact make it easier for seniors to be independent, to live on their 
own and to earn more funds. I also feel that the eldercare tax credit, 
which will help families, is a very important and positive initiative 
of this 104th Congress.
  In addition the House has passed the rollback of the unfair 1993 tax 
increase on Social Security.
  But the final initiative, Mr. speaker, I think which is also 
important, is the opportunity to save Medicare, to make Medicare more 
viable, to make sure it is preserved and will in fact provide benefits 
for seniors in this generation and the next generation. What we will do 
in the proposal that is before the Congress is to reduce paperwork 
costs. Right now, Mr. Speaker, 12 percent of Federal dollars from 
Medicare go to paperwork. That is ridiculous. Businesses would not 
stand for it. We need to reduce that cost through electronic billing, 
et cetera.
  We also have $30 billion a year in fraud, waste, and abuse in the 
current Medicare System. That must be eliminated, and the savings go 
back to make sure we have the health care dollars for our senior 
citizens.
  We also have the initiative to make sure we sustain medical training 
dollars for interns and residents, the indirect costs for medical 
education, but as a separate line item, and to make sure those funds 
that were used in prior Medicare budgets be used for Medicare for our 
seniors.
  But the final option which I think really makes Medicare more modern, 
more accessible, and certainly more beneficial to seniors; while we are 
gong to maintain fee for service for Medicare subscribers, we are also 
offering managed care as an option which may include pharmaceuticals 
and eyeglasses for no extra costs and also Medicare Plus, which is the 
medisave account which will have seniors who want to have a system 
where the dollars they get will be used for their health care, but 
whatever money is saved goes back in their pocket or, in fact, is 
rolled over to the next year.
  So I am looking forward to working with the other side of the aisle, 
making sure that we save Medicare, working with the President, and 
while there may have been a veto of the current legislation, I am 
hopeful that working together with the White House we can make a 
Medicare plan that is going to be good for our seniors, will make sure 
we restore fiscal responsibility to our budgets, but making sure our 
health care is there for those who are in need.

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