[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 42 (Wednesday, March 17, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H1339]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    BUDGET DETAILS NEGLECT MEDICARE

  (Mr. WEINER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WEINER. Mr. Speaker, the details of the budget being prepared by 
the majority are finally beginning to leak out. They include an 
embracing of the Democratic initiatives on Social Security and $1 
trillion in tax cuts. I like tax cuts just as much as the next person, 
but what was missing from the budget was any mention of Medicare.
  While Social Security does reach crisis perhaps in the year 2032, 
Medicare is lacking today. In fact, seniors pay more out of their own 
pockets for health care costs than they did when John F. Kennedy 
declared a health care emergency and initiated a Medicare program.
  Now, the Democrats are proposing and the President is supporting the 
notion of covering prescription drug and using a portion of the surplus 
to shore up Medicare for seniors today.
  Now that the majority has embraced Social Security, perhaps they 
should embrace Medicare as well.

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