[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 133 (Tuesday, September 24, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H10981]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           SALUTING MICHAEL MATZ AND AMERICA'S HUMBLE HEROES


                 THE REPUBLICANS' PLAN TO SAVE MEDICARE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Fox] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. FOX of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I come before the House tonight 
to bring up a few topics, not the least of which would be Medicare. We 
have heard from the other side tonight the Mediscare, the fiction.
  The facts are, Mr. Speaker, that this House is working hopefully in a 
bipartisan fashion to make sure we take care of health care for our 
seniors. It is the same Republican majority that this year, in this 
session, we raised the income eligibility for seniors from $11,200 to 
$30,000 that seniors can earn without deductions from Social Security. 
It is the same Republican majority in the House that reduced the 1993 
tax on Social Security that was placed by a prior Congress from that 
side of the aisle.
  So it would be the same majority Republican Congress that would 
propose that we save Medicare, protect Medicare, and to make sure it is 
here for the next year's seniors and for the next generation of 
seniors.
  We have a problem we ought to face. The President talked about it a 
few years ago, but we are doing something about it. There is $30 
billion a year in fraud, waste and abuse. Under the proposed 
legislation, Mr. Speaker, we would hope to reduce that fraud, waste and 
abuse, and thus be able to make sure that Medicare is preserved and 
protected. That is what we are talking about here; not cuts in 
Medicare, preserving Medicare. We will do that.
  In addition to the legislation to make penalties for those who commit 
fraud, waste and abuse, we are also talking about reducing paperwork 
costs to Medicare so those dollars go back to health care and to also 
make sure that medical education, which now part of that cost comes out 
of Medicare, that should be a separate line item in the budget, so we 
make sure our interns and residents are at the cutting edge of 
technology at our medical schools.
  But let us make sure that we have that lockbox; that any savings we 
have from fraud, waste and abuse does not go to the general fund, Mr. 
Speaker, but goes back to Medicare for our seniors. We will continue to 
fight for seniors in this Congress.

  As well, we are going to continue to fight for our citizens, be they 
seniors or be they young people, to make sure we increase penalties for 
those who would commit crimes against seniors and crimes against our 
youth.
  We also passed legislation, not only for more police officers on the 
street, but we have passed legislation which gives the flexibility to 
communities and counties to have a drug court if they want it, to have 
crime prevention programs, to increase the equipment for police, and 
also make sure they have the vehicles they need, as well as other 
programs that each community will design. So we have gone beyond the 
President's program for just more police. We have gone further.
  But I want to take a moment of my colleagues' time tonight to also 
salute a local hero in my district. Michael Matz was saluted on 
Saturday in Montgomery County, PA. He is a humble hero, a gentleman who 
won a silver medal as part of the American equestrian team, but he is a 
third-time Olympian. For the last 20 years he has been involved with 
this sporting activity, which has brought him for the third time to the 
Olympics, but this time to the winner's circle.
  What is most poignant about this day we saluted Michael Matz and his 
family was the fact that the individuals who came to that event were 
local officials, to be sure, and his family; but a very special family 
also came, the Roth family.
  Just a few years ago when there was a horrible plane accident and 
tragedy in Sioux City, IA, Michael Matz and his wife were there to help 
save some of those individuals. The Roth family was there because three 
of their children were saved when Mr. Matz and his wife went back into 
the plane, after they got out, to save three children.
  Those with great character and those humble heroes are in our own 
backyard. We should salute those people every day because America's 
heroes are all across the country. I am very lucky to have them in my 
district in Pennsylvania.
  But I bring it to your attention tonight, my fellow colleagues, 
because we have great people in this country who are role models for 
our youth and role models for adults. I am very proud that Michael Matz 
is my constituent. I hope that he will continue to be followed by the 
public, because great projects in the future will be those that Michael 
Matz will be part of, and I hope America is watching.

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