[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 11544]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     MEDICARE GUARANTEE THREATENED

  (Ms. SCHAKOWSKY asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, the Republican bill cuts, caps, and 
balances all right; cuts Medicare, caps Medicaid, and balances the 
budget on the backs of our seniors, people with disabilities, and the 
middle class.
  When Willy Sutton was asked why do you rob banks, he said, because 
that's where the money is.
  Asking the elderly and people with disabilities to shoulder the 
responsibility for our national debt--really? Nearly half of Medicare 
beneficiaries have income at or below 200 percent of poverty. The 
median income for seniors is just over $19,000 a year. The Republican 
proposal will end the Medicare guarantee, double out-of-pocket costs 
for seniors and people with disabilities, and send them an invoice for 
$6,000.
  Of course we need to address our fiscal challenges, but not by ending 
Medicare in the process.

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