[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 200 (Friday, December 15, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H14936]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                MEDICARE, MEDICAID, AND THE FEDERAL DEBT

  (Mr. WARD asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WARD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about the subject of 
Medicaid and Medicare and to respond to the gentleman on the issue of 
the Federal debt. I supported a 7-year balanced budget program but, in 
doing so, I did not support a $245 billion tax break that the 
Republican side insists on keeping in that bill while we have this huge 
deficit.
  Mr. Speaker, I do not doubt the sincerity of the commitment of the 
Speaker and the Republican caucus in taking care of the budget deficit, 
but I am reminded of the cartoon, the Christmas classic, ``The Grinch 
Who Stole Christmas.'' It runs every year of TV and I urge Members to 
take a look at it again. What they say about the grinch I think is 
true.
  In spite of my acceptance of the sincerity on the Republican side, 
maybe, like the grinch, their hearts are just two sizes too small, 
because the decision that they are making on this budget is to reduce 
taxes on the wealthiest while increasing, increasing taxes on the 
poorest.

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