    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1999, Book I)]
    [March 24, 1999]
    [Page 450]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on Proposed Legislation To Strengthen Medicare
    March 24, 1999

        Today the Senate Democrats introduced important amendments to
    address the major defect of the Republican budget: its complete failure
    to address Medicare. The majority's budget fails to set aside even one
    penny of the surplus to strengthen Medicare and does not extend its
    solvency by a single day. Yet, Medicare faces the same demographic
    challenges as Social Security and is projected to become insolvent even
    sooner. Instead of putting Medicare first, the Republican budget puts
    top priority on a tax cut that explodes in cost just at the time that
    baby boomers retire.
        I applaud Senate Democratic efforts to fix the Republican budget by
    putting a higher priority on strengthening Medicare and by making sure
    that any lockbox includes Medicare. I urge Congress not to miss this
    historic opportunity to strengthen Medicare.