[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 81 (Wednesday, June 5, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H5822]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     SENIOR CITIZENS SHOULD NOT PAY FOR SPECIAL INTEREST TAX BREAKS

  (Ms. WOOLSEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, why is Medicare running into financial 
trouble sooner than we thought? Because the new majority is more 
interested in raiding Medicare for special interest tax breaks than in 
buckling down and coming up with a bipartisan plan to keep Medicare 
solvent.
  Instead of proposing changes in Medicare that would lead to greater 
solvency of the trust fund, the Gingrich-Dole majority proposed 
limiting physician choice, draining the system of healthy participants 
through medical savings accounts, and eliminating laws against fraud in 
the health care industry.
  That is no way to save Medicare.
  We can avoid the dire predictions of the Medicare trustees. We should 
work together.
  Democrats proposed a plan to keep Medicare solvent while maintaining 
the guarantee of health care for older Americans.
  Our plan keeps Medicare in the black for years to come without the 
devastating cuts that make seniors see red. What we need around here is 
the courage to do what's right. What we don't need are special interest 
tax breaks paid for by our Nation's seniors.

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