[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 14 (Wednesday, February 8, 2006)]
[House]
[Page H163]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                THE PRESIDENT'S FISCAL YEAR 2007 BUDGET

  (Mr. WELDON of Florida asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to discuss the President's 
budget. As a physician who used to take care of a lot of Medicare 
patients prior to my election in 1994, one of the first things I look 
at in the budget are the Medicare numbers, after I look at the NASA 
numbers and a couple of other things.
  Members of this body need to know, and the American public, that the 
President's budget calls for a 15 percent increase in Medicare 
spending. You may be surprised to hear that because the press is 
talking about Medicare cuts. Indeed, Democrats are talking about 
Medicare cuts. You even heard that on the floor today.
  It is projected to go from $396 billion to $457 billion in 2007, and 
by 2011 to grow to $587 billion. Where is the cut? There is no cut. The 
President is trying to slow the growth of this entitlement program, 
which is unsustainable in the future unless we can enact significant 
reforms. God bless us if we are unable to do that.
  This is, in my opinion, the right thing to do for the President, and 
he needs to be commended. And for those who mischaracterize this as a 
cut, they need to start telling the truth.

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