[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 106 (Friday, July 29, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1679-E1680]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      40TH ANNIVERSARY OF MEDICARE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAMES P. MORAN

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 28, 2005

  Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 
40th anniversary of one of our nation's most vital and successful 
social programs: Medicare. To this day, it remains one of the greatest 
accomplishments, providing near universal coverage to America's most 
vulnerable citizens.
  Since its inception in 1965, Medicare has drastically reduced the 
number of Americans

[[Page E1680]]

living below the poverty line, and considerably reduced the financial 
burden on seniors and their families. The program has increased life 
expectancy among Americans, giving minorities greater access to health 
care, and given individuals with disabilities access to health care 
that was never previously available. All the while, this program has 
operated efficiently with our tax dollars. Administrative costs average 
less than two percent of expenditures, a fraction of what private 
insurance companies spend on such costs.
  Yet while we have seen remarkable success in the last 40 years, we 
must ensure that the mission of Medicare is carried on through this new 
century. So far, this Congress has fallen woefully short. The 
Republican majority pushed through the Medicare Modernization Act of 
2003 to provide prescription drug coverage to American seniors. A noble 
idea, but this law falls far short of the universal coverage and 
prohibits the government from using common sense negotiation strategies 
to keep drug costs low.
  As future generations reflect on the legacy of this Congress, in many 
respects it will be shaped by the commitments--rather than the 
rhetoric--that we make to our seniors. Medicare is a program that 
offers stability and hope for millions. It is our responsibility to 
continue the strong history Medicare has built. Let's give America's 
seniors the drug and medical coverage that they deserve.

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