[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 22]
[Senate]
[Page 29581]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           HEALTH CARE REFORM

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, Senator Reid contacted me earlier today 
and said he was unable to be here for the opening of the session, and I 
told him I would be here to open.
  I would like to say, briefly, in response to the comments that have 
been made by the minority leader, Senator McConnell, who continues to 
raise the question about the future of Medicare, that I hope the 
Senator is sensitive to the fact that this last week, on December 3, we 
voted 100 to 0 for the amendment offered by Senator Bennet of Colorado, 
which said nothing in the amendments to this act shall result in the 
reduction of guaranteed benefits under the Social Security Act 
provisions related to Medicare; and we went on to say any savings would 
be used to extend the solvency of the Medicare trust fund, reduce 
Medicare premiums and other cost sharing for benefits and improve or 
expand guaranteed Medicare benefits and protect access to Medicare 
providers.
  We voted 100 to 0, in a bipartisan fashion, to make certain we 
protect the Medicare Program. That is the way it should be, and that is 
the way the Senate voted.

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