[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 2]
[House]
[Page 2191]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              RURAL AMERICA DEPENDS ON QUALITY HEALTH CARE

  (Mr. McINTYRE asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. McINTYRE. Mr. Speaker, Lord Chesterfield once said that health is 
the first and greatest of all blessings, and how true it is. This year 
health care will be a hot topic here in Congress. But the one thing we 
should not do is forget our roots, that America began from rural areas 
and that many citizens, from the small coastal communities to the 
mountain hamlets to country crossroads, depend on quality health care.
  How can the administration talk about saving Medicare and, on the 
other hand, have $9 million in cuts that would be taken away from 
Medicare. We cannot have this kind of double-talk. I urge my colleagues 
to consider the citizens of rural America. Do not allow the $9 million 
in cuts from Medicare. We realize that rural hospitals depend on 
Medicare and that our citizens' needs will not be met if they are not 
able to survive.
  Now is the time to have the debate on Social Security, but now is 
also the time to make sure we do right by our citizens in rural America 
on Medicare.
  Let there be no discrimination among any of our citizens. Let us 
stand up and do right for quality health care for all Americans.

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