[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 2]
[House]
[Page 2883]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE ARE BEDROCK

  (Ms. DeLAURO asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, the United States Census projects that in 
the next 25 years the size of America's elderly population will grow by 
more than 50 percent. This means that during our lifetime, Social 
Security and Medicare will face serious financial strain. In light of 
these facts, we must do what is necessary and what is fair and 
responsible, use the budget surplus to protect Social Security and 
Medicare while we still have the means.
  These two programs are bedrock. Two-thirds of our seniors rely on 
Social Security for over half their income. In the 30 years since its 
inception, Medicare has raised the percentage of seniors with health 
insurance from less than half to 99 percent. These two programs are 
important and currently too financially vulnerable to be ignored for a 
one-time tax break.
  Democrats want to dedicate 77 percent of the surplus to save Medicare 
and Social Security. Unfortunately, the Republican leadership 
disagrees. The Republican tax plan is silent on Medicare. What we need 
to do is to be ready to work to save and protect Social Security and 
Medicare. Let us use this historic surplus to do just that.

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