[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 8]
[House]
[Pages 10878-10879]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                MEDICARE

  (Mr. CARNAHAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. CARNAHAN. Madam Speaker, this image depicts a watershed moment 
for our Nation's senior citizens. President Harry Truman conceived of 
Medicare during his Presidency and received first Medicare card after 
President Johnson signed the program into law 46 years ago, when 40 
percent of Americans over the age of 65 lived at or below the poverty 
level, largely due to medical costs. Now only 10 percent live in 
poverty.
  But my Republican colleagues seek to radically alter this successful 
program. Their plan would double annual out-of-pocket expenses from 
$6,000 to $12,000, would give insurance companies the power to ration 
care, and would force seniors to spend another $2.2 billion on 
prescription drugs by reopening the doughnut hole.
  Madam Speaker, balancing the budget is a national priority. Everyone 
needs to work together, and everyone has to sacrifice to get our fiscal 
house in order.
  But my Republican colleagues continue to argue for special interest 
exceptions from that national sacrifice. They are letting oil companies 
and companies sending jobs overseas off the hook. Why should profitable 
companies continue receiving taxpayer subsidies while we're asking 
Grandma to pay more?
  Madam Speaker, as Medicare turns 46, let's get serious. Let's be sure 
that this is a national priority and a national sacrifice.

[[Page 10879]]



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