[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 2]
[House]
[Pages 2376-2377]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                URGING ACTION ON THE HEALTH CARE CRISIS

  (Mr. EMANUEL asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.
  Mr. EMANUEL. Mr. Speaker, the administration has told us Social 
Security is in a crisis, headed for an iceberg, going broke, yet last 
week's revelation that the Medicare drug bill will cost nearly three 
times more than its original price tag, for a total of $900 billion, 
known in the real world as a $500 billion overcharge, calls into 
question the notion of privatizing Social Security.
  Apparently the leaders here in Washington are content to ignore the 
900-pound gorilla in the room. I would like to remind everyone that it 
was none other than the Fed Chairman, Alan Greenspan, who told the 
House Budget Committee in February of 2004, the concern is not so much 
about Social Security, the outlook for Medicare is much more difficult 
to assess. We really do not have a clue about the outlook for Medicare 
and never have.
  The distinguished Fed Chairman is an expert on the challenges facing 
Social Security. He is undoubtedly getting tremendous pressure today to 
change his story.

[[Page 2377]]

  Mr. Chairman, Federal Chairman Greenspan, do not get weak in the 
knees today, or ever. This is no time to change your judgment. Your 
integrity is a precious asset. I was there at the Budget Committee 
hearing when you said Medicare is a more serious problem.
  Mr. Speaker, we have a health care crisis in this country. 
Privatizing Social Security is not an ideological solution in search of 
a crisis.

                          ____________________