[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 2]
[House]
[Page 1800]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                     CITIZENS' FREEDOM TO WORK ACT

  (Mr. GREEN of Texas asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on the floor today we will be 
considering the Senior Citizens' Freedom to Work Act. It allows seniors 
to work, continue to work without affecting their Social Security.
  It seems hard to believe that our tax law would actually punish 
people for working. I am pleased that my colleagues on the Republican 
side after 6 years have finally decided to help seniors who want to 
continue working. This is the first we have had a clean vote on this 
issue.
  These are the very same seniors, the ones who cannot afford their 
medication or their prescription because our Medicare system does not 
cover it. I am glad that we are actually going to let them now work and 
earn that money so they can pay for their prescriptions, because this 
Congress has not passed a bill on that.
  Mr. Speaker, it is estimated that approximately 45 percent of seniors 
have no prescription benefit. These are the seniors who choose every 
month between buying food, paying their bills, or buying their 
medication. Some have to buy their medication but skip days just to 
make it longer.
  I am disappointed that this Congress has not moved aggressively on 
prescription medication for seniors. But at least by passing this bill, 
we will let them continue to work so they can afford their medication.

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