[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 64 (Thursday, May 9, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H4657]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             SAME OLD STORY

  (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I simply would like to tell my 
colleagues the story of ages past. Speaker Gingrich: ``I would like to 
see Medicare wither on the vine.'' The majority leader in the Senate: 
``I was there fighting, 1 of 12 to vote against Medicare in 1965.''
  Now they have a new budget and the budget is the same old song, the 
same old story. What they want to do is to force hospitals to close by 
cutting Medicare. They want to make sure that our children who need 
preventive health care do not have it, and they are looking to close 
the nursing homes where many of our parents who worked so hard during 
their lives now need to have this care, the loving care that these 
homes provide, because of the cuts in Medicaid.
  And, yes, what about Mrs. Jones, 74 years old? She has been going to 
the same physician for all of her life. Now the Republicans say, ``You 
cannot do that, Mrs. Jones. You are going into managed care.'' A 
prison, which will not allow our seniors choice for their medical care. 
What do we say now to Mrs. Jones?
  Same old song. Cutting Medicare and cutting Medicaid. Giving the 
money to the wealthy. What do we hear from the Republicans? Anything 
new? No, the same old story, verse, and song.

                          ____________________