[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 127 (Friday, August 26, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1531-E1532]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     RECOGNIZING WOMEN'S EQUALITY DAY BY PROTECTING WOMEN'S HEALTH

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. LAURA RICHARDSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, August 26, 2011

  Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize August 26 as 
Women's Equality Day, which marks the date in 1920 that women earned 
the right to vote. Today, we celebrate women's equality in the United 
States after so many years of being treated as second-class citizens, 
denied the full rights and privileges of male citizens.
  Mr. Speaker, voting rights are now an institutionalized right for all 
women. Any attempt to weaken or withdraw them would be met with 
universal public condemnation. Unfortunately, there are other historic 
advances for women which face an uncertain future. One of these is 
Medicare, which 1 in 5 women rely on for basic health insurance 
protection.
  Since its enactment, Medicare has been a great equalizer for women's 
rights. By removing some of the burdens associated with being primary 
caregivers, Medicare freed women to pursue roles outside the home.
  Unfortunately, even in retirement, women are more likely to be 
dependent on Medicare than men. It is a critical source of health 
insurance coverage for nearly all older women in the United States and 
for many younger women who have permanent disabilities. Nearly half, 49 
percent, of women on Medicare have three or more chronic health 
conditions and 57 percent of women on the program live below the 
federal poverty level.
  Mr. Speaker, Medicare is a social insurance program that provides 
health insurance coverage to all people who are aged 65 and over as 
well as those who are permanently disabled.
  Like women's suffrage, Medicare endured a long and difficult battle 
to be signed into law since it was first called for by President Truman 
in 1946. It was introduced in Congress every session from 1952 to 1964 
and was defeated each time. Finally passed as part of the Great Society 
initiative under President Lyndon B. Johnson, Medicare was signed into 
law in Independence, Missouri on July 30,1965.
  Johnson chose Independence as a tribute to President Harry Truman's 
efforts to pass Medicare decades before and enrolled the former 
President as the first Medicare beneficiary. Medicare has four 
different parts: Hospital Coverage, Medical Insurance, Medicare 
Advantage Plans, and Prescription Drug Plans which help to cover the 
cost of inpatient care in hospitals, doctor's visits, hospital 
outpatient care, preventative services, and the cost of prescription 
drugs.
  Since the beginning of the program, Medicare has had a profound 
impact on the health and well-being of older women. In 1964, only 51 
percent of Americans 65 and older had health care coverage, nearly 30 
percent of seniors lived below the poverty line and the average life 
expectancy of Americans was 70.2 years old.
  Today, virtually all Americans 65 and older have health care 
coverage, only 8.9 percent of seniors live below the poverty line and 
the average life expectancy of Americans has increased to 78.2 years 
old. Additionally, Medicare provides affordable health care coverage to 
over 47 million Americans, including 39 million seniors and 8 million 
Americans under 65 with disabilities. Among the oldest Medicare 
beneficiaries, those 85 years and older--70 percent are women.
  Mr. Speaker, Medicare is popular and strongly supported by the 
majority of American women, with 72 percent regarding Medicare as 
extremely important to their retirement security.

[[Page E1532]]

  House Republicans ignore or pretend not to recognize the 
extraordinary success of Medicare. In fact, earlier this year House 
Republicans adopted a fiscal plan that ends Medicare as we know it and 
replaces it with a voucher program that requires seniors to purchase 
health care from private insurance companies with a voucher that is 
worth $6,200 less than they receive currently under Medicare. Of 
course, my friends across the aisle do not explain how seniors can be 
expected to be better off fending for themselves with less money in a 
profit-based system with higher administrative costs that discriminates 
against older persons and those with preexisting medical conditions.
  Mr. Speaker, my Democratic colleagues and I believe that Medicare 
needs to be preserved and strengthened so that it may be available for 
future generations. Just as Medicare has been kept solvent for the last 
46 years; we believe it can be strengthened and maintained for at least 
the next 46 years.
  Because women constitute the majority of individuals on Medicare, the 
program is therefore critically important to preserving our health and 
well-being. In addition, because women, on average, are paid less, live 
longer and have more health care needs than men, Medicare plays a 
greater role toward preventing illness and destitution.
  Therefore, in honor of Women's Equality Day, I rise to honor the 
brave and courageous women of past generations who fought for the right 
to vote and for equality. They deserve equal attention to their long-
term health, and I intend to continue fighting to that end.

                          ____________________