[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 16194-16200]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           AMERICA'S GREATEST GENERATION--OUR SENIOR CITIZENS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 5, 2011, the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Hartzler) is 
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.


                             General Leave

  Mrs. HARTZLER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on the topic of this Special Order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Missouri?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. HARTZLER. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
  Today, I am here to lead a very important discussion regarding 
America's Greatest Generation--our senior citizens.
  I have the greatest respect and heartfelt affection for this special 
group of people. This respect and affection originated with the special 
relationship I had with my grandparents. I valued spending time with 
them and loved learning from them. I learned how to catch a fish and 
golf from Granddad Zellmer, how to clean and cook a fish from Grandma 
Zellmer, how to ride a horse and milk a cow from Granddad Purdy, and 
how to crochet and make homemade butter from Grandma Purdy.
  Out of the love of my grandparents grew a love and respect for all 
senior citizens. I believe their wisdom should be sought and valued in 
our society and that generations should be linked to benefit from each 
other. As a teacher, I initiated programs to bring young people 
together with senior citizens, and wrote my master's thesis on it. I 
can tell you that it's a winning combination. Throughout my life, I 
have been dedicated to advocate for senior citizens. For over 10 years, 
I served on the Cass County Council on Aging. I helped raise money for 
our Meals on Wheels program and for other important programs to help 
senior citizens.
  Now I'm honored to represent and to serve the great people of 
Missouri's Fourth Congressional District, which is home to over 120,000 
seniors. You can trust that I will ensure that this cherished 
generation is never overlooked. There are many challenges facing our 
Nation's senior citizens: financial stress, health challenges, housing 
issues, and family difficulties. My Republican women colleagues and I 
want you to know that we care, that we hear your concerns, and that we 
are here to stand by you and to fight for you and for workable 
solutions.

                              {time}  1830

  I'm honored to have the privilege tonight of leading this discussion 
and introducing you to some of the most dedicated women in Congress 
who, like me, care about seniors and are fighting for you.
  I would now like to yield as much time as she may consume to my good 
friend from just across the State line, a fellow farm girl and my 
travel buddy back and forth to the Kansas City airport, Representative 
Lynn Jenkins.
  Ms. JENKINS. I thank the gentlelady from Missouri for yielding, and I 
appreciate my fellow Republican women stepping up this evening to have 
an honest fact-based discussion about one of our Nation's most valued 
resources--our senior citizens.
  As I travel through Kansas each week, I always hear from folks who 
have had to tighten their belts over the last few years, and the 
overwhelming message I hear is that Kansans want their government to do 
the same, and seniors are no different.
  While special interest groups, many in the media, and several of our 
colleagues across the aisle like to paint our Nation's seniors as weak, 
terrified of budget cuts, and beholden to the Federal Government for 
financial security, seniors in Kansas know better. These are strong men 
and women who have seen our Nation through a world war, cultural 
upheaval, and cyclical financial turmoil. They have always stayed true 
to the ideals and principles that make this country great. They have 
always been willing to make the necessary sacrifices to better their 
lives and those of their children and grandchildren, and they continue 
to display that same commitment during our current struggles.
  But you know what? Just because our seniors are willing to sacrifice 
does not mean we should continue to demand it. It's time we, the 
beneficiaries of their hard work and sacrifice, stopped asking for more 
and allowed our seniors to have the security and certainty that they 
have earned through decade upon decade of hard work.
  That's why I'm pleased to have supported the Republican House budget 
earlier this year that will save a Medicare system that could be 
bankrupt in 8 years if we do nothing, and it makes a plan to save 
Social Security, which isn't far behind. Our plan saves these programs 
for the next generation while preserving 100 percent of the benefits 
for those Americans currently in or near retirement.
  I'll continue to fight to ensure seniors don't see any cuts in their 
benefits, like the cuts that were provided for under the President's 
health care law, which cuts Medicare by $500 billion and allows a board 
of bureaucrats to begin rationing care. We will, instead, continue to 
work to protect and strengthen these important programs.
  The economic turmoil over the last several years has impacted all of 
us, including our seniors. Our Nation's senior citizens, the Greatest 
Generation, worked their entire lives to make this country what it is 
today. Keeping the promises made to them over the years must be a 
priority of this Congress and of this Nation.
  Mrs. HARTZLER. Thank you, lady. I appreciate your great remarks.
  Now I would like to yield as much time as she may consume to another 
farm gal, a fellow friend here, from South Dakota, Kristi Noem.
  Mrs. NOEM. I thank the gentlelady from Missouri for recognizing me 
and for facilitating this wonderful discussion that we have tonight in 
front of us to really talk about our seniors and to talk about the 
challenges that they face and the promises that we've made to them that 
we intend to uphold and to keep for the years to come.
  I rise to speak on this Special Order with our other Republican 
female colleagues to discuss a lot of important issues, and I want 
everybody to know across this country, in South Dakota we have more 
than the average share of seniors in South Dakota. We have a very high 
number, and all of us have seniors in our families--grandparents, 
neighbors, friends who are seniors and live under the programs and 
policies of this country.
  Our seniors have worked hard. They've raised their families. They've 
raised grandchildren with strong values, with good work ethics that are 
extremely important to them to deal with a lot of the things that this 
life may throw at them. They paid into Social Security. They fought our 
enemies on foreign soil to defend our country and our freedoms. They 
have built businesses, and they literally have created the fabric of 
our society in America today.
  Our Republican agenda reflects the deep gratitude that we have 
towards our seniors in this country. We're thankful for the country 
that they have given us. We're thankful for the values that they have 
taught us, and we intend to follow through on the promises that we've 
made to them.
  So you're asking me today what are the promises that we've made to 
our seniors? The first promise we have made is to care for them. That's 
why we chose to step up and to save the Medicare program. That's why we 
didn't choose to not address the problem that we have and the fact that 
it is going to go broke in less than a decade.
  We also did this at a time when we can truly fix the program without 
impacting seniors who currently rely on the program. Future generations 
will need that program, and we did offer solutions for that. But our 
current beneficiaries, all of those who are 55 and older, will not be 
impacted if we do what the Republicans did this year and fix the 
program so that it's still around. Nothing will change for seniors

[[Page 16195]]

under the plan the Republicans have put forward.
  We have also made important promises to our seniors who are military 
veterans. South Dakota has a strong history of military service. 
Thousands of South Dakotans have stepped up and put their lives on the 
line to defend this country. Many of them have made the ultimate 
sacrifice, and for that we'll always be grateful.
  Many of them came home wounded or forever changed by the experience. 
Veterans earned and deserve all of the benefits that they were promised 
going back to the founding of this great country.
  We've worked to protect those programs and protect those veterans and 
the programs that they rely on. Some in Washington, in the media, try 
to scare our seniors. They try to scare them by telling them that we're 
going to get military veterans' pensions and payments and programs, and 
that we're going to cut the military veterans' benefits.
  Nothing could be further from the truth. Despite vicious rumors and 
whatever the media and Democrats try to say, we are not going to let 
our veterans down and not follow through on the promises that we have 
made to them. We will continue to fight for those veterans' benefits.
  Finally, we also promised our seniors that we would leave to our kids 
and our grandkids a nation that is as exceptional as they left us. That 
means that we're focusing on growing our economy, that we're reducing 
burdensome regulations that are driving people out of business and 
overseas. We're empowering small business at the same time, letting 
them make decisions that the government has no right making, and we're 
cutting wasteful spending that does nothing but bloat government and 
crowd out the private sector.
  In closing, let me just say that I am proud to stand here with 
Republican women because we take our promises to our seniors very 
sincerely and seriously, and I know that we will do our part to uphold 
all of those promises that we have made.
  Thank you for the time.
  Mrs. HARTZLER. Thank you, lady, and absolutely we are going to 
fulfill those promises.
  Now I would like to yield as much time as she may consume to the 
gentlelady from Texas, Representative Kay Granger, who wants to share a 
little bit her thoughts on seniors.
  Ms. GRANGER. Thank you very much for yielding to me and thank you for 
the time where we get to talk about women and our seniors.
  Women have made great strides in the workforce and in politics--
actually, in all areas of life. But while we've had our careers, we're 
still the primary caregivers for our children, and we're the ones often 
responsible for managing our household budget.
  Additionally, many of us have added the responsibility of caring for 
our aging and sick parents that we owe so much to, as you've talked 
about. We know the importance of being there for our parents, the way 
they were there for us throughout our lives, and that's why tonight the 
House Republican women are focusing on the issues that matter to 
America's seniors.
  While Medicare and Social Security often make the headlines, 
Alzheimer's disease is a challenge that's touched nearly all of us in 
some way, someone we know, if not our own family. Beyond the emotional 
toll, Alzheimer's is a disease that will weigh down our economy over 
the next century if it's not addressed head on.
  Nearly 6 million Americans are currently living with this disease, 
and every single day more than 10,000 baby boomers are turning 65. As 
these baby boomers age, one in eight will develop Alzheimer's. At a 
time when our government is looking for ways to save money, thinking 
about the economic cost of diseases like Alzheimer's is an important 
priority to consider.

                              {time}  1840

  Today, Alzheimer's is the sixth leading cause of death in the United 
States, and we are seriously lacking in ways to prevent, cure, or even 
slow its progress.
  This year alone, the economic impact of caring for Alzheimer's 
patients will cost our economy a total of $183 billion. Unless 
something is done soon, the costs of Alzheimer's in the United States 
will total $20 trillion by the year 2050; $15 trillion of that cost 
will come from Medicare and Medicaid.
  This is a disease that is not only heartbreaking, but it is also a 
disease that we can't afford if we don't take action now. That means 
making Alzheimer's a national priority. Leadership from the Federal 
Government has helped reduce the number of deaths from other diseases, 
such as HIV-AIDS, influenza, pneumonia, and stroke. We need to do the 
same thing for Alzheimer's.
  We have the potential to create the same success that has been 
demonstrated in fights against other major diseases. By making 
Alzheimer's a priority, we can cut down on both the financial and the 
human cost of this disease. So I'm proud to stand with my Republican 
colleagues and talk about the issues that seniors and their families 
are dealing with every day. And we can find solutions.
  Mrs. HARTZLER. Thank you, lady. I certainly share your commitment and 
the heart-wrenching reality of Alzheimer's disease and our need to 
focus on it here.
  Our next speaker is from the great State of Washington, 
Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler.
  Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER. I thank my colleague, and the Republican women 
who have joined us here tonight to talk about such an important issue 
and to share what we have been doing on behalf of our Nation's seniors, 
because I believe we need to protect the rights of our Nation's 
seniors, the right to make choices about their health care, the right 
to access what they spend their entire working lives paying into, the 
right to know that the programs that exist today will be there when 
they need them.
  Now I would like to talk specifically about the right to make 
choices. Now in my corner of the country in southwest Washington State, 
more than a third of our seniors have chosen Medicare Advantage. That's 
37 percent who have made this choice. In my most populated county, 
Clark County, half of the seniors have chosen to use Medicare 
Advantage. Part of the reason for this--and many times you see this 
happen--is because fewer and fewer doctors are taking traditional 
Medicare. It just doesn't pay enough to cover the bills. With Medicare 
Advantage, and you're a new Medicare beneficiary, you might have a shot 
at getting a doctor. This is very important when we have 10,000 baby 
boomers retiring every single day.
  We stand with our Nation's seniors when it comes to--and I say 
``we,'' my Republican colleagues and myself--when it comes to accessing 
programs they've spent their whole lives paying for.
  The Medicare Board of Trustees and the Congressional Budget Office, 
CBO, two nonpartisan groups who are tasked with figuring out what the 
cost of bills are, and that's CBO and Medicare, the trustees are tasked 
with the financial responsibility of keeping Medicare on the straight 
and narrow. Both have said within the next decade Medicare goes 
completely bankrupt. So if you are at home and you're watching this, 
the one thing you need to know is doing nothing is not an option. Ten 
years, 10 years, and Medicare goes insolvent. You know what that means? 
It means that those seniors who have paid their whole life into this 
program are suddenly going to be faced with choices. Are they going to 
face cuts in benefits or more limited services? Insolvent, completely 
insolvent. We have to do something, which is why earlier this year my 
Republican colleagues and myself joined together to put forth solutions 
for Medicare, to save it and to protect it. Those folks who have paid 
into this program their whole life deserve to pull that money out when 
it is time to access it, which means we need to take action now.
  I urge my colleagues in the Senate to consider the House-passed 
budget because what it does is protect retirement benefits for everyone 
who is 55 and older, completely keeps it as it is. And then for those 
in my generation who are younger, who are coming up the pike, it 
changes it necessarily so

[[Page 16196]]

that we can also access those benefits we will pay into.
  So I'm excited today to join with my colleagues to make sure that we 
protect these important programs. Seniors have a right to these 
programs, which is why we are stepping forward. We are going to stand 
with them to make sure that what they've paid into, they'll be able to 
access when it comes time.
  The seniors in southwest Washington have spent years planning for 
their retirement. My colleagues and I will continue to take the lead 
when it comes to protecting programs like Medicare and their choices 
within Medicare. We have fought and will continue to fight against the 
credit card spending and against that mentality that jeopardizes this 
program because our seniors deserve that which they have paid into.
  Now the Republican women that have joined me tonight on the floor to 
talk about these important issues, we understand that our Nation's 
seniors have rights, and they are looking to us to protect those 
rights, to protect Medicare for them and for future generations.
  Mrs. HARTZLER. I thank you, Jaime.
  I am now happy to yield to my good friend and fellow runner from the 
great State of Ohio, Congresswoman Jean Schmidt.
  Mrs. SCHMIDT. I thank my good friend from Missouri.
  You know, I often talk about kitchen table politics in this well 
because as Ronald Reagan said in his farewell speech, all good ideas 
begin at the dinner table. And they do.
  Look at this poster. This is a poster that I think really illustrates 
what's going on in families all across America, including our seniors, 
and that is, how are we going to pay our bills, and how are we going to 
move to the future? It's a huge issue, and it's one that this Congress 
needs to address in many ways.
  The U.S. Census says that over 40 million Americans today are 65 
years or older, almost 20 percent of our American families. Almost 20 
percent of those sitting around that kitchen table. These are an 
incredible group of people. These are the people who fought in World 
War II, that created the Greatest Generation. They fought in Korea, 
sustaining the Greatest Generation. And today, they are now faced with 
so much anxiety and uncertainty in our Nation.
  One of the things that I think we have to do in Congress is to erase 
that anxiety, whether it's through the financial markets, to ensure 
that we are putting forth programs that allow our banking systems to 
work effectively so that they don't have to be concerned with what the 
cost of banking is going to be or what their financial assets are going 
to be, to make sure that our businesses are flourishing in this country 
and are not saddled with unnecessary regulations that constrict them 
from going forward, to move within the economy. In other words, we have 
to get our economy moving. It is so important for our Nation, 
especially for our seniors.
  But I think that there are some other things that we have to talk 
about with our seniors as well. You know, as we sit around the kitchen 
table and we worry about our bills, they also worry about, not just how 
they're going to pay their income tax, but the mammoth issue of paying 
the income tax. And for seniors, instead of having to go to an 
accountant and use their precious dollars to figure the whole system 
out, maybe we should pass H.R. 1058, the Senior Tax Simplification Act 
of 2011. You know, this is a bipartisan bill. If passed, it would 
direct the Secretary of the Treasury to make available a new Federal 
income tax form similar to the 1040-EZ form for people who have turned 
over 65. It would make the completion of the Federal income tax return 
simpler, faster, easier, and less costly for most of our American 
hardworking seniors.
  I think another bill that we have to really look at, and this is the 
one that I really want to focus the rest of my talk on, is the repeal 
of the death tax. This is an issue that I've had to personally face in 
my life. I grew up on a family farm, and there's nothing better than 
being raised on a farm. It's the best way you can raise a family, and 
you do a lot of talking at that kitchen table.
  When my dad was seeing his declining days, he realized if he didn't 
do something, hire a fancy attorney at a lot of money an hour, he 
wouldn't be able to pass that farm along to his kids. So he did some 
estate planning, but it wasn't enough. And at the end of the day when 
my father passed away, my brother, sister, and I had to make a 
collective decision to sell personal assets to just be able to keep 
that farm because we want our children and our grandchildren to have 
the same experience that we had.
  And I think, how often is this occurring unnecessarily? And it's not 
just the family farm, it's the family business, whether it is a 
manufacturing business, whether it's a winery, whatever the business 
is. If it's a family business, why do we have to worry as we see our 
declining years how we're going to do some tax structures and pay an 
insurance plan and whatever else is out there to try to keep a part of 
it for our children.

                              {time}  1850

  It's counterproductive, because in the end the Federal Government may 
get a piece of money at your death. But that's the end of the money 
they'll ever get from you or your family.
  Ending the death tax won't hurt our economy. It will only improve our 
economy. And for our seniors that sit around that kitchen table that 
may be what we call land poor--have a lot of money in the land, but not 
a lot of money in the bank--they won't be forced to make the same 
decisions so many of my friends had to make when I went to their family 
funerals. And they said, By gosh, we're going to keep Dad and Mom's 
farm. We're not going to get rid of it. They weren't as fortunate as my 
sister, my brothers, and I were that we had some personal assets that 
we could use to keep our farm. They had to sell theirs. And what's 
left, brick and mortar?
  It's a serious issue. We need to repeal it. I urge my colleagues on 
both sides of the aisle to do this. It will not only move our economy 
forward, but for our hardworking American seniors it will alleviate 
that anxiety at the kitchen table.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my good friend and colleague from 
Missouri, Mrs. Hartzler for hosting this Special Order on seniors, a 
group to whom we owe so much.
  According to the 2010 U.S. Census, over 40 million Americans today 
are 65 years of age or older. That's almost 20% of our American family.
  These are the folks upon whose shoulders we stad today. They are the 
ones who have carried us through the good times and the bad.
  Today's seniors are an incredible group of people. They have 
witnessed a lot of history, and, in fact, they have made a lot of 
history.
  They served in World War II, the Korean Conflict, and the Vietnam 
War. They fought and bled on the battlefields of those wars, places 
such as North Africa, Normandy, Iwo Jima, Pork Chop Hill, Outpost 
Harry, and Hamburger Hill.
  During those wars they built our ships, our tanks, and our planes; 
they plowed the fields and raised our crops; they manufactured the 
millions of items necessary to keep a nation at war amply supplied.
  Between wars, they built our skyscrapers and our interstate highway 
system; they developed our space program and landed men on the moon; 
and, they even invented the first computers.
  And, most importantly, while they were accomplishing all these great 
feats, they also found time to fall in love, to get married, and to 
have families.
  I think it goes without saying that we owe our seniors a huge debt of 
gratitude. Still, I want to take this opportunity to say to our seniors 
in this great country, thank you. Thank you for all that you have given 
and for all that you have sacrificed and for all that you have done for 
your country and your fellow Americans.
  Mr. Speaker, it was with our seniors in mind, and as an expression of 
gratitude to them, that I proudly co-sponsored three bills of special 
interest.
  The first bill, H.R. 436, is known as the Protect Medical Innovation 
Act of 2011. This bill, which has support from both sides of the aisle, 
would, if passed and signed into law, amend the Internal Revenue Code 
to repeal the excise tax on medical devices.

[[Page 16197]]

  Eliminating this excise tax would allow medical device manufacturers 
to better spend that money researching new products. The development of 
these potential, new medical devices would, ultimately, provide higher 
health care standards and lower the costs of health care.
  The second bill, H.R. 1058, is known as the Seniors' Tax 
Simplification Act of 2011. This bill, which also has support from both 
sides of the aisle, would, if passed and signed into law, direct the 
Secretary of the Treasury to make available a new federal income tax 
form similar to Form 1040EZ for individuals who have turned 65 as of 
the close of the taxable year.
  It would make the completion of federal income tax returns simpler, 
faster and easier for most seniors.
  Finally, the third bill, H.R. 1259, is known as the Death Tax Repeal 
Permanency Act of 2011. This bill, like the previous two bills, also 
has support from both sides of the aisle.
  It would, if passed and signed into law, amend the Internal Revenue 
Code to: (1) repeal the estate and generation-skipping transfer taxes, 
and (2) make permanent the maximum 35% gift tax rate and a $5 million 
lifetime gift tax exemption.
  Having spent decades working hard to develop and accrue assets, a 
person should be able to convey those assets, upon his or her death, to 
whomever he or she chooses, without the heavy hand of the government 
reaching in to steal a portion.
  Estate taxes are especially harmful to farmers, ranchers, and small 
business owners. They need to be eliminated.
  In conclusion, I want to say again to our seniors, thank you.
  I also, once more, want to thank my good friend and colleague, Mrs. 
Hartzler, for facilitating this evening's discussion and focusing on a 
segment of our society that is so deserving of our time and attention 
and to whom we owe so much.
  Mrs. HARTZLER. Thank you, Jean. Well spoken.
  Now I get to introduce the vice chairman of our conference and our 
good friend from Washington, Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers.
  Mrs. McMORRIS RODGERS. Thank you very much, Vicky, and I am proud to 
join a dynamic group of Republican women tonight committed to 
preserving the American Dream, promoting economic growth, and 
protecting America's seniors.
  We have a story to tell. And it's a story not just of our children 
and our grandchildren, but also of our parents and our grandparents, of 
the men and women who raised us, who contributed and fought for this 
great country, and of the generation that has actually been hit the 
hardest by the economic downturns. One of these seniors is my own dad.
  This summer, when President Obama actually threatened to withhold 
Social Security checks and not to reimburse Medicare providers, my dad 
called me and said, Well, Cathy, I might be moving in with you; and, 
no, I won't be babysitting.
  President Obama was wrong, and yet seniors all across this country 
were threatened and scared by that statement. They continued to be 
frightened by the administration's policies.
  Let's just take a look at Medicare. It's a program that both 
Republicans and Democrats agree is unsustainable. Yet, today, try to 
find a doctor who will take a new Medicare patient in America. It is 
impossible or difficult. The average couple over the course of their 
lifetime, when they turn 65, will have paid just over $100,000 into 
Medicare, and they will pull out of that program over $300,000. It's 
not too difficult to do the math. It is unsustainable. The system is 
going bankrupt, and now is the time to improve it.
  Last year, we saw a health care bill pass that is actually going to 
make it worse. The President's health care bill will actually give 15 
unelected bureaucrats in D.C. the power to cut Medicare and drive 
providers out of service. The Republicans want to give patients the 
power to put market pressure on providers and make them compete.
  We are here tonight as daughters committed to helping our parents and 
their entire generation of hardworking Americans ensure that this 
program does not go bankrupt over the next 10 years. We refuse to let 
that happen. We're committed to finding the right answers to improving, 
reforming, and protecting a program that our parents have contributed 
to for decades.
  And so this is our moment. It's our moment to make real changes for 
America. It's our moment to listen to each other's stories, and it's 
our moment to protect our seniors, their benefits, and their access to 
quality care. We're going to continue to do this for many years to come 
to share the great story of the American Dream and our senior citizens 
who embody it.
  Thank you very much for the opportunity to participate tonight.
  Mrs. HARTZLER. Thank you, Cathy.
  Now I would like to yield as much time as she would like to my good 
friend, a neighbor on the east side of Missouri--Tennessee here--
Representative Diane Black.
  Mrs. BLACK. Thank you for yielding your time, my dear friend from 
Missouri. It's very good to be here today as Republican women and 
lifting up seniors.
  When I think about the seniors in my life, my grandmother and my 
grandfather, I really hope that my children and grandchildren will 
think the same way about me. Because when we ask people who are their 
heroes, so many times what we hear is about their grandmothers and 
their grandfathers. And that is because they have so much to offer, 
especially the Greatest Generation--the generation that right now we 
are trying to protect every benefit that we can for them because they 
have worked hard and they have put money into the system and they 
deserve to be cared for.
  Now, one thing I do know about seniors, having worked with seniors in 
home health care as a nurse, is they really feel like many times they 
don't have choices. Our seniors, just because they turned 65, should 
not be having their choices taken away. We shouldn't think that they 
can't make good choices. And that's exactly what the health care bill 
that was passed by the Democrats last year, the Patient Affordability 
Act, does. It removes the ability for them to make choices.
  In particular, the Independent Payment Advisory Board, also known as 
IPAB, is a group of 15 unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats that are 
assigned by the President; and their job will be to cut the costs and 
limit access for our seniors to care. They will have the ability to 
deny care and not give choice to our seniors. This is wrong.
  Our plan, the Path to Prosperity, would give our seniors choice. It 
would not affect those 55 or older, but it would give those 54 and 
younger an opportunity to be able to have choice in their program. We 
address the unsustainable growth of Medicare so the program does not 
bankrupt us in 10 years so that we can have money in the bank for our 
seniors as they age.
  It is only fair and right that our seniors should have choice and 
that they should have the care that they put into the bank and they so 
deserve. Let's give seniors their choice.
  I thank my friend for yielding.
  Mrs. HARTZLER. Thank you, Diane.
  Now I am happy to introduce my good friend from the great State of 
Alabama, Congresswoman Martha Roby.
  Mrs. ROBY. Thank you so much for having this Special Order tonight. 
It's so important for us to have the opportunity to speak to America, 
but particularly to home in on our seniors back home.
  Of course, throughout my travels back through Alabama during our 
district work periods, I repeatedly hear two things from seniors in 
Alabama: When is Congress going to pass a budget, and How is Congress, 
with all of our budget woes, going to preserve Social Security and 
Medicare? And the failure of Congress to address these concerns in an 
honest way threatens the economic security of America's seniors. 
Seniors deserve better than empty promises from a government that is 
broke. They deserve straightforward, honest answers and real solutions.
  I, too, like many of the women that have spoken tonight, have a 
grandmother. I call my grandmother ``Gaga.'' I have to look ``Gaga'' in 
the eye as a Member of Congress and express to her my sincerity in 
making sure that we are taking care of our seniors.
  We all agree that we're facing a serious budget crisis in Washington. 
It's

[[Page 16198]]

been more than 900 days since the Senate has passed a budget. I would 
like to say this is ridiculous. A budget is a basic financial plan for 
our country. It is a vision for America's future. Approving a budget is 
a fundamental task for Congress. What business would operate without a 
basic budget for 3 years?
  Republicans in the House have passed a bold budget plan that clearly 
addresses some of the biggest financial issues that we face. The House 
Republican budget addresses Washington's reckless spending. It is an 
honest, detailed, concrete plan to put our budget on a path to balance 
and our economy on a path to prosperity through job creation.
  Under the Republican House budget, seniors 55 and older will not be 
affected in any way. As I think about my grandmother that I have 
already talked about, I have to reiterate this point. It is so 
important: seniors and those that are 55 and older will not be affected 
by our Republican plan. They will not be affected. Their benefits will 
not change. After paying into the system for years, we made a 
commitment to those seniors, and we must follow through.

                              {time}  1900

  For those of us who are 55 and under, we must take steps to ensure 
that Medicare will still be available when we retire and available for 
our children and our grandchildren. This is common sense. We know that 
without reform and repairs, these entitlement programs simply will not 
be in existence for us when we retire. Without reform, they will 
collapse. And the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office anticipates 
that Medicare will go bankrupt by 2020. It is clear that these programs 
are not sustainable in their current form, and actions must be taken 
before it is too late.
  What proposals has this administration put forward to address these 
concerns? None of us in this room have yet to see a solid plan for 
action. By failing to address the problem, this administration is 
failing our seniors. Rather than offering solutions, the administration 
is continually providing our seniors with misleading information 
regarding the Republican proposal. Let me say it one more time. Those 
55 and older, under our plan, will not be affected as it relates to 
their benefits.
  Washington's failure to enact policies that promote long-term 
economic growth and balance the budget is creating uncertainty for 
employers and consumers alike. It is time that Washington get serious 
and put our fiscal house in order.
  There are 15 bills--now 16, after today--waiting in the Senate for 
action that will put Americans back to work if the Senate will only 
take that action. Congress must act now. It is what we were sent to 
Washington to do, and protecting our seniors is a huge part of that.
  Thank you so much again for hosting this hour tonight and letting me, 
on behalf of Alabama's Second District, be a part of it.
  Mrs. HARTZLER. Absolutely, lady. Thank you.
  It is important that we get the truth out and that seniors have an 
opportunity to hear the truth about our bills and the steps that we are 
taking to try to protect and defend them.
  Now I get to introduce to you my fellow colleague from the great 
State of North Carolina, Representative Renee Ellmers.
  Mrs. ELLMERS. Thank you so much, and thank you for leading this 
Special Order tonight. It's so important.
  You've heard from my fellow women colleagues the discussion we're 
having about our families, our seniors, Medicare, Social Security, and 
the importance of operating under a budget. We continue to grapple with 
these issues because here in the House of Representatives we've passed 
numerous bills, we've passed the repeal of the President's health care 
bill, and yet only to go on to the Senate and not be taken up for a 
vote.
  You heard my fellow women colleagues discuss how we've passed 15 
bills on to the Senate, including the repeal, with no action 
whatsoever. The American people are calling for jobs, the American 
people are calling for a change in our economy, and those bills will 
take care of that issue. Those bills will set us on a path towards 
recovery, and yet we continuously play politics on the Senate side. We 
don't bring these things for a vote.
  We're here tonight talking about all these issues that affect our 
families, again, our seniors. Our seniors are so concerned about what's 
going to happen in the future. Our seniors have paid into a system 
their entire life, into Social Security and Medicare. They deserve 
those benefits back.
  As a nurse, taking care of seniors was part of my core health care 
life, taking care of seniors and ensuring that they're going to receive 
good care throughout the remainder of their life. And they've paid into 
that benefit willingly. They paid into that benefit and deserve to get 
it back. They don't look at Medicare and Social Security as budgetary 
issues. They look at these as benefits that they deserve, and it is 
incumbent upon us to make sure that they receive them.
  You've heard my fellow women colleagues reiterate over and over again 
that if you are 55 and older, through our House-passed budget they will 
not be affected. Anyone 55 and older, no benefit is changed whatsoever, 
and yet in the Senate that budget is not taken up for a vote.
  The American people are looking for answers. The American people know 
the issue. They understand, because we have made the point over and 
over and over again, that Medicare, down the road, just a few years 
down the road, will be bankrupt because of the situation that we're in 
today.
  Seniors are calling my office every day concerned that as Republicans 
we are going to ruin Medicare for them and that somehow they're going 
to lose that benefit. I can tell them honestly that is the last thing 
that any of us as Republicans want to do. In fact, the problem lies 
with the President's health care bill that was passed in the 111th 
Congress because, in that bill, a half trillion dollars was taken out 
of Medicare, and put into place was a 15-person panel, which you've 
also heard my fellow colleagues discuss, IPAB, Independent Payment 
Advisory Board. Fifteen individuals, 15 bureaucrats will be able to 
decide what Medicare will pay for and what they will not, essentially 
taking away the patient-doctor relationship.
  My husband is a surgeon. I don't want my husband to have to sit down 
with his patients and discuss what they cannot do because Medicare will 
not pay for it. But that, unfortunately, is the future if we are not 
able to remove this, if we are not able to repeal, as we have already 
passed here in the House.
  My fellow colleagues are working very hard--very hard--to rescue 
Medicare from the position that it's in right now because it is doomed 
to failure. But, unfortunately, this issue has been kicked down the 
road through previous administrations, through previous Congresses. But 
we can no longer allow this to go on. We have to address the issue now. 
And I believe that our seniors understand this. And I believe that if 
we can continue to give them this message that we are in no way wanting 
to harm the benefits that they're receiving now or the benefits that 
they will be receiving if you're 55 and older, we will be able to 
accomplish that.
  But again, the calls that are coming into my office--that I am more 
than willing and my staff is more than willing to answer these issues--
need to be going on to the Senate. They need to be going to the Senate 
and asking why these issues are not being brought up. Why are we not 
voting on these bills? Why are we not passing a budget?
  You've heard my colleagues say it's been over 900 days since the 
Senate has passed a budget. There is no household that can function 
without a budget, and there is absolutely no business that can function 
without a budget. Our seniors understand that, too, because they have 
lived very responsible lives and deserve all of the benefits that we 
should be providing for them.
  So thank you again for holding this very important Special Order. And 
to those seniors out there, we are working very hard for you, and we 
will continue to do so.

[[Page 16199]]


  Mrs. HARTZLER. Absolutely. And I know that you would agree that it's 
a privilege to talk about our seniors tonight, and your background in 
health care certainly lends a lot of expertise to this issue.
  I have another friend and colleague who is from the same great State 
of North Carolina. And I think it's interesting. I learned something 
here, Virginia, that you're from Grandfather Community, and we're 
talking about seniors, so it's appropriate. My good friend, 
Representative Virginia Foxx.
  Ms. FOXX. Thank you very much. I want to thank our colleague from 
Missouri, Congresswoman Hartzler, for leading this important effort 
tonight to highlight the concern that Republican women have for the 
millions of seniors that we represent in Congress.
  And, yes, I do come from a little community in western North Carolina 
that's called Grandfather Community, because there is a mountain there 
called Grandfather Mountain that's one of the highest mountains east of 
the Rockies. It's the second highest mountain east of the Rockies. And 
I have to tell you, when people come and see the beautiful view I have 
and say, ``How can you leave this to go to Washington?'' I tell them it 
isn't easy. But I think that we're doing important work here, and it's 
important that we continue to do this work and represent, I think, the 
majority of the people in this country. I think highlighting this is 
very important.
  And it's interesting. My colleague from North Carolina who just 
spoke, Congresswoman Ellmers, and I did not exchange notes, but we both 
were on the same wavelength in terms of what we wanted to talk about. I 
read my own mail, I answer all my own letters, and I'm astounded at the 
number of letters I get from seniors who tell me they're very concerned 
about the health of the Medicare and Social Security programs.

                              {time}  1910

  They are concerned, and they've been misled into thinking that 
Republicans want to do something negative to those programs. It is 
amazing the misinformation that's out there about Republicans and our 
attitude toward Medicare and Social Security. In fact, it's Republicans 
who have a plan to save Medicare and Social Security, and that's what I 
tell seniors.
  But they've heard that the Congressional Budget Office has projected 
that Medicare part A would be bankrupt in 10 years; and they know 
they've paid into these programs, and they're relying on them to 
provide critical medical care for them when they need it.
  In the past, Congresses have taken a pass on reforming these programs 
to keep them solvent for both today's seniors, as well as for future 
generations, who are currently paying into them, like we are. But the 
House Republican Path to Prosperity budget plan provides a way forward. 
It ensures that Medicare lives long past 2020, when it's now projected 
to be bankrupt.
  The Republican plan, as my colleague from North Carolina said, does 
nothing to impact Medicare benefits for anyone 55 or older, but it will 
improve the program so that those 54 and younger will have access to 
the same kind of health care program enjoyed by Federal employees and 
Members of Congress. We're often criticized for having a separate 
program, but this will allow the seniors to participate in the same 
kind of program that we participate in.
  It's far better than letting the program wither on the vine, which is 
what those who refuse to take action would allow to happen. And again, 
as my colleague pointed out, it's our friends on the other side of the 
aisle who voted to cut a half trillion dollars from Medicare.
  Not a single Republican voted to do that. Our effort has always been 
to save Medicare, to save Social Security. And we have the plan to do 
it, the Path to Prosperity budget and its plan to save Medicare. It's 
the only plan that preserves Medicare for today's seniors and for 
future generations.
  I think this Special Order will help us get the message out to our 
constituents and those who are constituents of other Members of 
Congress; and I want to thank you, Congresswoman Hartzler, for putting 
on this Special Order tonight.
  Mrs. HARTZLER. Thank you so much, Virginia.
  Now I would like to yield time to another good friend from New York, 
Ann Marie Buerkle.
  Ms. BUERKLE. Thank you very much.
  Mr. Speaker, I am so proud to stand here this evening with my fellow 
Republican female Members of Congress, and we stand here tonight united 
on behalf of our seniors.
  I come before the House tonight, Mr. Speaker, not only as a nurse and 
someone who's been involved in health care most of my professional 
life; but I come here as the daughter of a 90-year-old senior citizen.
  I rise here tonight to express my appreciation to my mother and to 
all the other seniors who've made such valuable contributions, both in 
my district and throughout the United States of America. The seniors of 
today have fought wars, they've educated us, they've helped to build 
infrastructure and technology that has led the way to our modern life.
  Today's seniors are still busy enriching our society. Some of our 
seniors are busy in the community with care giving, with volunteering, 
with sharing important life lessons with their children, with their 
grandchildren and with their neighbors.
  Yet some seniors, Mr. Speaker, in today's economy find themselves 
working later in life; and when they finally have the ability to 
retire, they will be dependent on Social Security and Medicare, 
programs that they have paid into their entire lives.
  Mr. Speaker, America must honor its obligations to our seniors. We 
must achieve bipartisan solutions that don't cut our seniors' benefits 
but, rather, ensure continued existence of these programs.
  I'm so saddened by the calls I get from seniors day in and day out, 
Mr. Speaker. They call my office, they write letters, and they're so 
fearful because of the misinformation that they have been given.
  I want to stand here tonight with my Republican colleagues and ensure 
our senior citizens we are protecting your back. We are protecting 
Medicare and Social Security, the programs that you rely on. We want to 
assure them they don't have to worry, that we will take care of them. 
We will honor our commitment to them, just as they honored their 
commitment to the United States of America.
  I thank the gentlewoman from Missouri.
  Mrs. HARTZLER. Thank you, Ann Marie.
  I now yield to the woman from Wyoming, Representative Cynthia Lummis.
  Mrs. LUMMIS. I thank the gentlelady from Missouri.
  Among the topics we've been discussing tonight is the effects of 
ObamaCare, the Affordable Care Act, on Medicare. One of the things that 
I believe is the most egregious is that when the $500 billion was taken 
out of Medicare to fund ObamaCare, it puts Medicare in a position where 
access to Medicare becomes a problem; and it becomes a big problem in 
States like mine, the State of Wyoming, a very rural place. We've got a 
dearth of physicians.
  Every time a Medicare patient walks into their offices, that 
physician is losing money because the doctors are reimbursed at amounts 
less than the cost to provide the service. That's happening elsewhere 
in the country as well, Mr. Speaker.
  We know from what the former CBO Director, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, said 
at a hearing in July of this year, and I quote, Today, Medicare 
coverage no longer guarantees access to care. Seniors enrolled in the 
Medicare program face barriers to accessing primary care physicians, as 
well as medical and surgical specialists.
  He cited an example of the clinics that Mayo has in Arizona that are 
no longer accepting Medicare patients into their primary care facility. 
This is happening all over my State. I think it happens a lot in rural 
areas.
  So the concern that we have of taking money out of Medicare and not

[[Page 16200]]

using it to fix physician and hospital compensation, and, instead, 
taking it to create a whole new program for non-seniors was a big 
mistake, a huge, huge barrier to making sure that seniors and seniors-
to-be, such as people in my age group, those of us 55 and older, will 
know that we have access to Medicare, the Medicare that we've paid 
into.
  I commend my colleagues for having this Special Order tonight and 
raising these issues. I want to commend you and thank you for the 
opportunity to participate as well.
  Mrs. HARTZLER. Thank you, Cynthia. I appreciate it.
  And now my friend from West Virginia, Representative Shelley Moore 
Capito.
  Mrs. CAPITO. Thank you. I want to thank my colleague for sponsoring 
this Special Order. I know we're running close to being out of time, 
but this is such an incredibly important topic for us as daughters, as 
granddaughters, as nieces and sisters. We spend a lot of time going to 
senior centers. I do in my district. I believe, as my colleagues have 
mentioned tonight, one of the resounding themes of our seniors right 
now is they're afraid, they're concerned, they're worried. They don't 
know what the future's going to be because of all the rhetoric 
surrounding Washington.
  The statistics that we've heard, a lot of them tonight, some of the 
ones that I've heard is that on top of more seniors living longer, 
we're going to have, the number of disabled elderly persons is 
projected to rise by one-third by 2030. As of January 1, 2011, each day 
10,000, baby boomers turn 65. The numbers just aren't going to fit.
  We've talked about the Republican plan to reform Medicare, to not 
touch those benefits of our present seniors, but to reform it for 
future seniors, for the baby boomers to come that are going to be 
turning 65 and going to have to rely on and need to rely on Medicare.

                              {time}  1920

  I'd like to talk about something in a personal way. We have a 
personal story, a lot of us. I'm in the sandwich generation. My parents 
are both in their eighties, and they're really having a pretty rough 
spell of bad health. And what it's done for my brother and sister and 
me, is we've had to spend--and we lovingly do this--but spend many, 
many hours trying to figure out how to meet their health care needs, 
try to figure out how to pay for all of their obligations and the worry 
of talking with doctors, trying to make sure they're comfortable.
  This is a real worry for all families across the Nation. In our 
country, 66 percent of these caregivers are women, and I think that's 
why we, as women of the House, particularly Republican women of the 
House, wanted to discuss seniors and care. So, with this sandwich 
generation, with the rising incidence of Alzheimer's, which touches 
every family--and my family is no exception--it brings a different type 
of need to this country on how we're going to address these very 
difficult medical issues.
  But if we don't address them--and we've heard this tonight--if we 
don't address them, if we just let them lie, let them stay the way they 
are, the way they are right now today, they will not be there. They 
cannot exist.
  One of the ways I think that we can really help our seniors is to 
have an economic program in place to grow our economy so that their 
401(k)s that they look at monthly, that they rely on for income, are 
growing rather than just dissipating and shrinking, which is another 
huge problem for our seniors. Many of our seniors planned very, very 
well for their retirement. They've kind of thought of them as their 
golden years, the times when they're going to be able to travel or 
visit more with their grandchildren and have the ease of life of the 
day-to-day obligations being met. And with the downturn in the economy, 
with the lack of growth in our economy, our seniors aren't able to do 
that. They put their heads on the pillow at night, and they're 
concerned about whether they're not only going to meet their 
obligations for their health care, but the gas, the food, and the 
payment for all of their needs.
  We need to realize that we have plans. We have plans for our seniors. 
We know how important Social Security and Medicare are to our seniors. 
Maintaining it and making sure it's there for future generations is 
absolutely critical. I want to thank my colleague for inviting me here 
this evening and getting a chance to talk about something that I care 
deeply about, and that is our Nation's Greatest Generation.
  Mrs. HARTZLER. Thank you, Shelley.
  Tonight you have heard from a lot of us, Republican women here in 
Congress. You've heard our stories and our love and our respect for 
senior citizens, and our heartfelt desire and commitment to serve and 
to represent them and to make sure that their rights are protected and 
that their voice is heard here. You've heard how we have had proactive 
plans put forth here in the House from our group to address Medicare 
and to preserve and protect it for the future. You've heard how we care 
about Social Security, and we're not going to take it away. We want to 
make sure it is there for future generations.
  You've heard of our concerns for Alzheimer's and the other diseases 
that are ravaging our aging population, and our desire and our 
commitment to move forward and make sure that those are addressed and 
that we make sure and find a cure there.
  You've heard of how we are listening to the financial challenges that 
we are hearing from the seniors in our districts and the plans that we 
put forth to eliminate the estate tax so one generation can pass on 
their farm or their small business to another generation without the 
Federal Government taking the property or taking the farm. You've heard 
our commitment to veterans and to those who have sacrificed so much so 
that we can stay free. We're going to honor those commitments and those 
sacrifices.
  Lastly, you've heard about our respect for this generation, and we 
know of their desire to pass on an America to their grandchildren that 
is just as great and just as promising as the one they grew up in. We 
are committed to making sure that we rein in our runaway federal 
spending here, we keep our fiscal house in order as a country, and that 
that promise is alive and well for their grandchildren. We are 
committed to moving forward as a group.
  We thank you for listening, and we thank you, Mr. Speaker, for this 
time.

                          ____________________