[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 141 (Thursday, October 3, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12326-S12327]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     TRIBUTE TO THE STAFF OF THE SENATE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON AGING

 Mr. COHEN. Mr. President, as the 104th Congress and my own 
tenure in the Senate draw to a close, I want to take this opportunity 
to thank and pay tribute to my staff on the Senate Special Committee on 
Aging for their fine work, dedicated service, and exemplary commitment 
to the needs of our Nation's elderly.
  I have had the privilege of serving as a member of the Aging 
Committee since first coming to the Senate, after having served on the 
House Aging Committee for many years. In 1991, I assumed the position 
of ranking Republican member on the Senate Special Committee on Aging, 
after the sudden and tragic death of John Heinz, our beloved friend and 
colleague from Pennsylvania. He left us long before his contributions 
were fully credited and before his mission could be completed. It was 
daunting indeed to follow in the footsteps of John Heinz, who was 
legendary in his advocacy on behalf of our Nation's senior citizens.
  In 1995, I succeeded another giant in the field of aging issues, 
Senator David Pryor, as chairman of the committee. Senator Pryor has 
been an indefatigable leader on issues affecting the quality of life 
for our seniors and protecting them from all forms of exploitation. 
David has decided to retire from the Senate, but the high standard of 
excellence that he set throughout his years as a Congressman, Governor, 
and Senator will be remembered with great fondness and gratitude by 
those who have been honored to serve with him, and by those who were so 
honorably served by him.
  Mr. President, I am proud that in these last 5 years the Aging 
Committee has had a strong record of achievement, thanks in large part 
to my highly dedicated and talented committee staff. The committee has 
brought many problems now facing our Nation's elderly to the attention 
of the Congress, policy makers, and the public. It has provoked public 
debate and has proposed solutions on how our Government programs can 
better serve the elderly and disabled.
  For example, the committee has examined a host of issues relating to 
Medicare and Medicaid. It has examined how managed care trends will 
affect the elderly and disabled populations, and how some Medicare 
HMO's have given poor quality and service to Medicare enrollees. We 
have reviewed the Medicare hotline and the level of service provided by 
the Medicare program itself to enrollees. The committee has identified 
how those with Alzheimer's disease and other chronic conditions of 
aging often fall through the cracks of our health care system, and how 
we should rethink our programs to provide more integrated care.
  The committee has placed strong emphasis on the long-term care needs 
of our Nation's elderly and disabled, recommending ways to protect the 
rights of nursing home residents and offering proposals on how to help 
families prepare for the crushing financial burden of long-term care.
  The committee has held hearings on the mental health needs of older 
Americans and heard riveting testimony on the once taboo subject of 
suicide among the elderly. Our hearings have cast a bright spotlight on 
the high prescription drug costs facing older Americans and how, 
tragically, some older Americans face the Hobson's choice of whether to 
buy food or medicine, because they simply cannot afford both.
  As has been the long tradition of the Aging Committee, we have 
exercised an active investigative agenda, focusing on how senior 
citizens are often prime targets of scams and con artists. Our 
investigations have revealed how some health care providers manipulate 
the system to siphon off as much as $100 billion a year from our health 
care system. We have heard sobering testimony from perpetrators on how 
easy it is to rip off the health care system and the taxpayers. Major 
reforms have been now signed into law to crack down against these 
abuse, in large part due to the investigations and recommendations from 
the Aging Committee.
  We have investigated telemarketer who offer prize giveaway, contests, 
investment schemes and other promises of gold to trusting senior 
citizens. Tragically, these scams have resulted in many seniors losing 
thousands of dollars, and often their entire retirement savings.
  The committee has devoted much attention to the unfettered growth of 
the Social Security disability program and how this program suffers 
from management deficiencies, fraud and abuse, and far too little 
oversight. We have provoked important public debate on problems in our 
Federal disability programs and have stressed the need to start facing 
head on the problems posed by the future insolvency of the Social 
Security and Medicare trust funds.
  While this is but a taste of the entire record of the Aging 
Committee's activities over the past 5 years, it gives a flavor of how 
this committee has alerted the Congress and the public to the needs of 
our aging population.
  I want to pay special tribute to my staff on the Aging Committee who 
have played a major role in each of these committee efforts.
  Since 1991, my Aging Committee staff has been under the able 
direction of Mary Gerwin, who has been the driving

[[Page S12327]]

force behind the issues we have reviewed and who has shaped many of the 
legislative proposals we made as a result of our investigative and 
oversight efforts.
  I also want to recognize the fine work and dedication of deputy staff 
director Priscilla Hobson Hanley; chief investigator Helen Albert; 
professional staff member Victoria Blatter; professional staff member 
Liz Liess; committee chief clerk Sally Ehrenfried; systems 
administrator Beth Watson; research assistants Lance Wain and Lindsey 
Ledwin; staff assistants Karina Lynch, Wendy Moltrup; and Myrna Webb; 
and GPO printer Joyce Ward. I extend my gratitude to these and all of 
the many committee staff, both past and present, who have contributed 
greatly to the mission of the committee.
  I also want to recognize the fine work of Kathryn Gest, my press 
secretary and Mike Townsend, committee press secretary, for their 
excellent work in promoting the work of the Aging Committee.
  Mr. President, the Aging Committee is perhaps unique among 
congressional committee due to its strong bipartisan cooperation. I 
want to congratulate and thank Senator Pryor's dedicated staff on the 
committee for their many years of service to both the Senate and our 
senior citizens.
  As I retire from the Senate, my staff will disperse to seek new 
opportunities and to make their contributions to the Nation in other 
ways. I wish them well and am deeply indebted to them for their 
service. The Senate Special Committee on Aging serves a very special 
purpose for the Congress and the Nation--and my staff on that committee 
has been very special indeed.

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