[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 87 (Thursday, June 13, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H6293]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       IT IS TIME TO FIX THE PROBLEMS WITH MEDICAID AND MEDICARE

  (Mr. HASTERT asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. HASTERT. Mr. Speaker, it is interesting to hear our friends on 
the other side of the aisle talk about an increase in the deficit, 
where we all know the deficits have been increased, driven by 
entitlements, Medicaid and Medicare.
  Mr. Speaker, sometimes we can stick our heads in the sand or put our 
hands over our eyes and not see the problems, but I think it also pairs 
up with a philosophy on this other side of the aisle that big 
government does better, big government knows more; that we should not 
let people at home in our States, our elected representatives, our 
Governors, happen to fashion those Medicare plans or Medicaid plans 
that fit best in their own States.
  Also, Mr. Speaker, somebody putting their hands over their eyes and 
saying there is not really a problem with Medicare, it is only going to 
go broke a year or two earlier than we thought it was going to go 
broke; it is only $100 billion more in debt than we thought it was 
going to be last year. That is what the President's own board of 
trustees said. It is time that somebody fixes it. We should not have 
this class warfare or geriatric warfare that tries to come from the 
other side of the aisle.

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