[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 69 (Thursday, May 16, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H5187]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           WE MUST PROTECT MEDICARE WHILE SLOWING ITS GROWTH

  (Mr. METCALF asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. METCALF. Mr. Speaker, the Medicare Program is going bankrupt and 
the problem is worse than we were originally told. This is not a 
partisan issue. For me this is a personal issue. My wife and I are both 
senior citizens and will depend on Medicare. We must find a solution 
that protects Medicare for current retirees and future beneficiaries.
  We all agree that we must slow the growth of Medicare. Our plan to 
save Medicare and the President's plan only differ by just 1.4 percent. 
By spending more carefully, we can find $24 billion of waste and fraud 
over the next years. Any senior citizen can tell you a personal 
illustration of waste in the Medicare Program. Seniors across America 
know there are problems with Medicare. They do not want us to attack 
each other and turn this into a partisan battle.
  Seniors know that Medicare is in trouble; they expect us to fix it. 
They do not want a political issue; they want a Medicare solution.

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