[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

  (Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. Mr. Speaker, it seems as though in the 
heat of the campaign season, some people just do not like to face the 
truth. The Republicans right now are running away from their record in 
the 104th Congress, a report where they are going after Medicare to 
fund tax breaks for the very rich.
  Just think about their budget. They ran on deficit reduction, but 
what did they do when they came here? They want to cut taxes $245 
billion over 7 years. Better than half of that money goes to 
individuals and families earning over $100,000. What are they going to 
do to pay for this big tax cut? Well, they are going to cut $270 
billion from the Medicare Program. What is that going to mean to senior 
citizens? It is going to mean out-of-pocket expenses that are going to 
grow for them.
  Mr. Speaker, Newt Gingrich said we are not going to kill it right 
away because that would not be politically popular. We are going to let 
it die on the vine.
  Now what do the Republicans want to do? They want to run away from 
their record of this statement. They want to say, cut off all 
advertising that tells the truth about what the Republicans intend to 
do with Medicare.

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