[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 12910]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          FIGHTING FOR SENIORS

  (Mr. MURPHY of New York asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. MURPHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of 
seniors across upstate New York. Since coming to Washington, I have 
fought to strengthen Medicare, protect Social Security, and ensure that 
our seniors can retire with dignity. As a founding member of the 
Seniors Task Force, I was proud to help introduce the Seniors Bill of 
Rights to guarantee the dignity and independence of all older 
Americans. We need to ensure that they have access to quality, 
affordable health and long-term care. We need to provide protection 
from scams, abuses, and exploitation. And we need to provide safe and 
livable communities.
  For years, credit card companies have taken advantage of our seniors 
by doing things like changing the terms of their agreements without 
telling them or advertising one rate and giving another. Last year, we 
saw a bipartisan effort with the Credit CARD Act to prevent these kinds 
of scams. We also worked this year to close the Medicare part D 
doughnut hole. Last month, our seniors started receiving $250 checks to 
close that hole. And by 2020, it will be gone entirely. No senior 
should have to choose between purchasing drugs and medicines they need 
or putting food on their table. And no senior should be scammed by 
credit card companies.

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