[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 179 (Friday, December 4, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S12356]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           HEALTH CARE REFORM

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, we had a very clarifying vote on the 
Senate floor about the direction of our friends on the other side with 
regard to our health care system. Yesterday, all but two of them voted 
to preserve nearly $\1/2\ trillion in cuts to Medicare, the health 
program for our seniors. In the runup to that vote, they said these 
cuts were not cuts and that Medicare Advantage in particular is not a 
part of Medicare, arguments plainly contradicted by the text of the 
bill itself, by the Department of Health and Human Services, by the 
independent Congressional Budget Office, and by the experience of 
seniors themselves.
  Seniors do not want Senators fooling with Medicare. Let me say that 
again. Seniors do not want Senators fooling with Medicare. They want us 
to fix it, to strengthen it, to preserve it for future generations--not 
raid it like a giant piggy bank in order to create some entirely new 
government program.
  Yesterday's vote was particularly distressing for the nearly 11 
million seniors on Medicare Advantage. So today Members will have an 
opportunity to undo the damage they voted to do to this program. With 
yesterday's vote, proponents of this measure authorized $120 billion in 
cuts to Medicare Advantage and in the process they expressly voted to 
violate the President's pledge that seniors who like the plans they 
have can keep them. The President has said seniors who like the plans 
they have can keep them--because you can't cut $120 billion from a 
benefits program, obviously, without cutting benefits.
  The Congressional Budget Office has been crystal clear on this 
matter. When asked about the effect these cuts would have on Medicare 
Advantage, the Director of CBO was unequivocal. He said that 
approximately half of Medicare Advantage benefits will be cut for 
nearly 11 million seniors enrolled in this program under this bill.
  This is the Director of the Congressional Budget Office being 
unequivocal. He said that approximately half of Medicare Advantage 
benefits will be cut for nearly 11 million seniors enrolled in this 
program under this bill. That is what our friends on the other side 
voted for yesterday and they know it.
  One Democrat last night was explicit. He admitted that after 
yesterday's votes, Democrats will not be able to say that ``if you like 
what you have you can keep it.'' This is one of our Democrat colleagues 
yesterday saying: ``If you like what you have you can keep it'' can no 
longer be said.
  He went on to say ``that basic commitment that a lot of us around 
here have made will be called into question.'' I think that is highly 
likely.
  Our friends have a couple of choices here today. They can reaffirm 
their plan to cut benefits for nearly one-fourth of all seniors 
enrolled in Medicare, they can admit that the President's pledge about 
keeping the plan you like no longer applies, or they can reverse part 
of yesterday's vote later today by voting with Republicans to restore 
those cuts to Medicare Advantage.
  I yield the floor.

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