[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 77 (Thursday, May 30, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H5654]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            CONGRESS SHOULD CELEBRATE OLDER AMERICANS MONTH

  (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, shame on us. This is the end 
of Older Americans Month, and here we are again, throwing them to the 
wolves.
  First of all, we are telling many of our older Americans who live in 
rural communities that with the Republican extreme Medicare plan, they 
are going to see some of their more familiar hospital sites closed.
  Oh, yes, Mr. Speaker, I received a letter from those individuals who 
would suggest that we do not have the facts. I am saddened to say that 
that individual who wrote a letter to my office did not have the 
courage to write a return address for us to be able to reply with the 
facts.
  Yes, Mr. Speaker, rural hospitals will close under the extremist 
Republican Medicare plan. And, yes, many of our seniors who have gotten 
familiar with their own physicians, have a relationship with them, will 
be pushed into managed care.
  Mr. Speaker, do my colleagues know about managed care? That is the 
kind of care that says we can only have 15 minutes with our doctor. 
That is the kind of care that says: I do not know if I can refer to you 
a specialist; it may cost too much.
  We need to be able to say to the Republicans that we believe in older 
Americans because they have believed in America. We should not give to 
the wealthy Americans the crown jewel of tax reduction while we short-
change our senior citizens. I am going to celebrate Older Americans 
Month.

                          ____________________