[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 25 (Thursday, February 11, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H589]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  WHY DO REPUBLICANS WANT TO GIVE TAX CUTS TO THE WEALTHY INSTEAD OF 
   PROTECTING AND EXPANDING MEDICARE WITH THE BALANCE OF THE SURPLUS?

  (Ms. SCHAKOWSKY asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks and include therein 
extraneous material.)
  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, I have been pleased to hear some of my 
Republican colleagues express a willingness to go along with President 
Clinton's plan to devote 62 percent of the budget surplus to social 
security. But what I cannot understand is why they would rather take 
the rest of the surplus and give a tax break to the wealthy, instead of 
protecting and even expanding Medicare so that it covers prescription 
drugs.

                              {time}  1045

  Before I was elected to public office, I served as director of the 
Illinois Council of Senior Citizens, and I learned a lot about how hard 
it can be to grow old in America. Making ends meet on Social Security 
is not easy, even if one is pretty healthy. But if someone has high 
blood pressure or diabetes or heart disease or cancer, they could be in 
real trouble. As any senior can tell us, there are many things Medicare 
does not pay for, including prescription drugs. In fact, seniors today 
are paying more of their incomes on health care than before Medicare 
was enacted in 1965.
  Social Security and Medicare. They go hand-in-hand. Seniors 
understand this. The President understands this. Before giving away the 
surplus to the rich, I hope the Republicans will get it, too, and 
support our plan to protect Medicare.

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