[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 19]
[House]
[Page 25796]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              HEALTH CARE

  (Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. ROGERS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, the senior citizens in my 
district are scared, literally scared. They ask me, What are the 
Democrats planning to do to my Medicare and Medicaid? And I have to 
tell them, I really don't know because the Democrats are hiding behind 
closed doors in the dark and keeping the rest of us out of the picture. 
So we don't know for sure. Except we do know this: They are planning 
massive cuts to Medicare, upwards of $500 billion, and massive cuts to 
Medicare Advantage that will result in a loss of health care for 
millions of seniors. According to the Congressional Budget Office, that 
Advantage cut would be around $162 billion. As a result, Medicare 
Advantage plans will drop out of the program, limiting seniors' choices 
and causing many of them to lose their current health care coverage. 
Cuts to Medicare Advantage will have an exceptionally harmful effect on 
seniors in rural areas like mine. I urge us to reject this plan.

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