[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 19]
[House]
[Page 25798]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               PROPOSED HEALTH CARE REFORM HURTS SENIORS

  (Mr. BOOZMAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. Speaker, we need to contain the cost of health care 
to make it more affordable for all Americans, but we cannot do this by 
cutting the services to our senior citizens. We have the responsibility 
to ensure that we don't harm the health care they currently have 
through Medicare. But the legislation supported by the White House, 
Speaker Pelosi and Senator Reid doesn't protect that care.
  Included in this health care plan is more than $162 billion in cuts 
to Medicare Advantage. More than 25,700 residents of Arkansas' Third 
Congressional District are enrolled in this program, and I know the 
positive impact it makes in the lives of Arkansans and all American 
seniors. This is bad practice to cut from critical services like 
Medicare Advantage and something that I cannot support.
  Rather than cut services, we need to examine how we can save money by 
getting rid of the waste and fraud in Medicare. Mr. Speaker, we can 
craft a bill that allows access to quality and affordable health care 
without sacrificing services to our seniors.

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