[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 115 (Wednesday, July 31, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H9385]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  MEDICARE AND MEDICAID HAS DRASTICALLY REDUCED THE POVERTY RATE FOR 
                       AMERICA'S SENIOR CITIZENS

  (Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. In quick response, Mr. Speaker, to my 
colleague, the gentleman from Georgia, he knows who controls the rules 
on the floor. If we could have submitted amendments we probably would, 
but the Committee on Rules typically has closed rules, and the 
gentleman's colleague from Georgia prohibited them with his amendment, 
most of them.
  What I am really here to talk about this week, we are celebrating the 
31st anniversary of Medicare. We are looking back on a time that has 
seen drastic reductions in the number of seniors in poverty. As a 
result of Medicare, the poverty rate among America's senior citizens 
has dropped from 30 percent in 1966 to 12 percent in 1993. Before 1966 
only 51 percent of American seniors had health insurance. Today, thanks 
to Medicare, 99 percent of America's seniors have health car.
  This is a program that America needs, not only in 1965, but today and 
tomorrow. Contrary to sentiments expressed by my Republican colleagues, 
Medicare should not be allowed to wither on the vine or be limited to 
pay for tax cuts, or, as one of our former colleagues said, ``I was 
there fighting the fight voting against Medicare, 1 out of 12, because 
we knew it would not work in 1965.''
  Celebrating Medicare's 31st birthday this week, we as Democrats are 
taking actions to ensure its success in the future.

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