[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 199 (Thursday, December 14, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2355]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            THE REPUBLICAN ASSAULT ON MEDICARE AND MEDICAID

                                 ______


                           HON. LOUIS STOKES

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 13, 1995

  Mr. STOKES. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to the 
Republicans' $270 billion cut in Medicare, and $163 billion cut in 
Medicaid. Cuts of this magnitude will not only devastate these 
programs, but most importantly, they will seriously threaten the health 
status of the people which Medicaid and Medicare were designed to 
improve and to protect--children and seniors.
  To jeopardize the quality of life--for millions of the most 
vulnerable in our society--for the sake of giving a tax break to the 
wealthy, is unconscionable. This tax cut giveaway will add millions of 
additional Americans to the already swollen ranks of the uninsured.
  To gut critical quality of life health care services at a time when 
the health status of Americans is already compromised is irresponsible. 
Health status statistics confirm that now is not the time to destroy 
the Nation's health safety net system. This year alone nearly 1.3 
million Americans will be diagnosed with cancer, over 500 thousand will 
die from the disease. Only about 40 percent of those who get cancer 
this year will be alive 5 years after diagnosis. Cardiovascular disease 
including heart attack and stroke, cause a death every 34 seconds in 
the United States, killing more than 900 thousand Americans each year. 
Nearly half of the 14 million Americans suffering from diabetes are not 
even aware that they have the disease. The gap in minority health 
continues to widen. The reemergence and spread of infectious diseases 
is on the rise. AIDS has become the leading cause of death for all 
Americans ages 25 to 44. Medicaid is especially critical to women and 
children suffering from AIDS.
  It appears that the Republicans did not factor the adverse impact of 
these devastating diseases into their Medicare and Medicaid 
restructuring equation. If the Republicans are allowed to gut $270 
billion from Medicare and $163 billion from Medicaid, the health status 
of the American people will deteriorate further. We must not tolerate 
the Republicans' blatant disregard for the needs of the American 
people.
  Mr. Speaker, the GOP assault on health status and health care 
services must stop. I applaud the President for his veto of the 
Republican budget, and I strongly urge my colleagues to stand up for 
the American people--vote ``no'' on measures to gut Medicaid and 
Medicare.

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