[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 6660]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              MOTHERS' DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. LAURA RICHARDSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 10, 2012

  Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate Mothers' Day 
and to thank our nation's mothers, grandmothers, and aunts, as well as 
all the women who mentor and nurture future generations. On this 
holiday, I thank these incredible women by recommitting myself to the 
effort to preserve Medicare and to protect their health and wellbeing.
  My mother was a true inspiration to me, and she taught me the 
importance of a solid work ethic and compassion for others in the 
community. She took on the challenge of raising two children by 
herself, which meant work during the day and school at night. Life 
certainly was not easy for her, but she always provided for my family 
and is one of the strongest women I have ever known.
  Today, many families in my district and across the country are also 
coping with limited resources while demonstrating the same 
determination and compassion that my mother instilled in me. Many are 
seniors who cannot afford the exorbitant cost of treatments for chronic 
medical conditions and preventive care. Medicare program is a vital 
lifeline for so many and should be protected at all costs.
  The proposed Republican plan to end Medicare as we know it would 
distribute vouchers for beneficiaries to purchase health insurance. 
Under the plan, the voucher would not grow as fast as health care 
costs, shifting the burden of the costs onto seniors. It would repeal 
the free preventive services benefit in Medicare, increasing seniors' 
out-of-pocket costs for preventive care by over $110 million in 2012 
alone.
  The Republican plan would have a particularly damaging effect on 
women, who, on average, live longer than men, have lower incomes than 
men, and have more chronic health conditions than men--making Medicare 
even more vital to their wellbeing. 57 percent of women on Medicare 
live below 200 percent of the federal poverty line, compared to 45 
percent of men. Additionally, 49 percent of women on Medicare have 
three or more chronic health conditions, compared to 38 percent of men.
  As a representative of the 37th Congressional District of California, 
this issue is of particular importance to me. In California alone, 
there are nearly 2.7 million female Medicare beneficiaries, more than 
any other state in the country.
  Mr. Speaker, I stand in solidarity with these women--America's 
mothers and grandmothers--as I reaffirm my support of the Medicare 
program. I will not support legislation that balances our budget on the 
backs of our nation's most vulnerable citizens, and I encourage my 
colleagues to join me in this critical fight.
  Mr. Speaker, I wish a happy Mothers' Day to all the mothers of the 
37th district and across the country.

                          ____________________