[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 110 (Wednesday, July 24, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H8252]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        MEDICARE: SENIORS BEWARE

  (Mr. PALLONE asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, Newt Gingrich is now running away from this 
quote and saying that he did not mean to say that Medicare would wither 
on the wine, but the bottom line is that the Republican leadership's 
actions and the legislation that they pass in this House would 
accomplish that goal.
  By cutting Medicare by $270 billion in order to finance tax breaks 
for the wealthy, essentially what happens is that the Medicare Program 
will not have enough money to finance quality health care for seniors 
and the level of services for seniors. In addition, the Republican 
Medicare plan would have doubled premiums and forced seniors out of 
traditional Medicare because they would no longer have their choice of 
doctors. That is what the Republican Party is all about.
  Lest anybody think that they were not going to continue this policy, 
they voted on another budget this year in this House of Representatives 
that again would slash Medicare in order to finance tax breaks to the 
wealthy. Today was the day when they were supposed to report back on 
how they were going to destroy and change Medicare structurally so that 
it would basically wither on the vine. Well, that deadline is passed. 
But I would still like to know what the Republican leadership has in 
mind for Medicare in this Congress. We still do not know, but one thing 
is for sure: The seniors should beware.

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