S6046 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 10, 2012 

FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY 

Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I 

rise today to speak about the budget 

proposed by Congressman PAUL RYAN, 

which has been approved twice by the 

House of Representatives. 

The Ryan budget, which is purported 

to be a measure of fiscal responsibility, 

is in fact an attempt to rewrite the social contract in this country while at 

the same time adding to the national 

debt. 

Let me explain. There are four major 

components of the Ryan budget. 

The first is another round of tax cuts 

for the wealthy. According to the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center, the Ryan 

tax plan would add an additional $4.5 

trillion to the Nation’s debt. That is on 

top of the staggering cost of the Bush 

tax cuts. 

Second, the Ryan budget would virtually eliminate spending on domestic 

programs, imposing debilitating funding cuts for education, air quality, 

roads, bridges, railways, national 

parks, first responder programs and a 

host of other vital national interests. 

Third, this budget ends Medicare as 

we know it and converts Medicaid into 

a block-grant program with capped 

funds. The Ryan budget endangers our 

two most vital sources of health care 

services for seniors, the poor and those 

with disabilities. 

Finally, the budget repeals the 

health reform law, reducing the solvency of Medicare and eliminating 

critical consumer protections. 

The tax proposal in the Ryan budget 

is especially troubling. According to 

the Tax Policy Center, the Ryan budget would mean a tax windfall of $265,000 

a year for millionaires. 

At the same time, the middle class 

and working poor would see few if any 

benefits. 

The Ryan tax plan is very similar to 

that of Mitt Romney. Both plans would 

substantially reduce tax rates on the 

wealthy, and both are supposedly paid 

for by closing unspecified tax loopholes. 

The Tax Policy Center has already 

analyzed Mitt Romney’s plan. In order 

to substantially lower tax rates and remain revenue neutral, the Romney 

plan would have to eliminate so many 

tax credits and deductions that it 

would actually raise taxes on the middle class. 

To make matters worse, the Ryan 

budget does not stand up to scrutiny. 

This is a question of basic arithmetic. 

How do you reduce the national debt 

while at the same time handing massive tax cuts to the wealthy? Congressman RYAN already took one option off 

the table—reducing the Defense Department budget. In fact, his budget 

proposes to spend even more money on 

defense, money the Pentagon does not 

even want. 

That leaves deeper cuts to domestic 

programs and entitlement spending as 

the only remaining options. And it is 

important to note that Congressman 

RYAN refuses to specify what those 

cuts would be—because they would be 

so painful to so many Americans. 

Medicare in particular would be savaged by the Ryan budget. 

Beginning in 2023, his budget ends the 

traditional guaranteed benefits structure of Medicare, instead offering 

vouchers to purchase either a private 

health insurance plan or traditional 

Medicare. 

According to the Congressional Budget Office, that means new Medicare 

beneficiaries would pay $1,200 more out 

of pocket by 2030 and $5,900 more by 

2050. Experts say the Ryan budget 

would also likely lead to reduced access to health care and diminished 

quality of care for beneficiaries. 

Essentially, seniors would be forced 

to purchase more expensive care with 

less. 

Consider that in 2010, half of all 

Medicare beneficiaries had incomes of 

less than $21,000 and you can see why 

this proposal is so dangerous. 

The Center for American Progress estimates that if the Ryan budget were 

to pass, someone who is 54 years old 

today would face increased costs of 

$59,450 during retirement. Someone 

who is 29 years old today would spend 

$331,000 more over the course of their 

retirement. 

I would also note that the Ryan 

budget includes $700 billion in Medicare 

savings the exact same amount that 

was included in the health reform law 

he seeks to repeal. 

The difference is that rather than applying those savings to lower costs and 

increased benefits for seniors, the Ryan 

budget diverts those savings to even 

more tax breaks for millionaires and 

billionaires. 

Speaking of Congressman RYAN’s desire to repeal health reform—his efforts 

to unwind that law, which has been 

upheld by the Supreme Court, would 

add tens of millions of Americans to 

the ranks of the uninsured, it would 

eliminate critical consumer protections, and it would hasten the insolvency of Medicare by 8 years. 

House Republicans want to put insurance companies back in the driver’s 

seat, able to charge higher rates based 

on gender and deny coverage to people 

with preexisting conditions. They 

would remove protections that guarantee children the right to health insurance. 

American families would again be at 

risk for bankruptcy because of costly 

illnesses like cancer. More than 12 million Californians would once again face 

lifetime limits on their health coverage. 

The budget would reopen the prescription drug ‘‘doughnut hole,’’ forcing 5.2 million seniors to once again dip 

into their pockets to cover the full cost 

of prescription drugs. 

In California, 3.4 million seniors 

would be forced to pay more for preventive services, such as cancer screenings 

and mammograms, meaning fewer seniors would have access to these services. 

Let me be clear: the health reform 

law extended the life of Medicare by 8 

years. In addition to forcing seniors to 

pay more for services, the Ryan budget 

would place the Medicare Trust Fund 

on a track for insolvency by 2016. 

Medicaid is another big loss in the 

Ryan budget. He would change Medicaid from a State-Federal match program to a block grant program, including dangerous funding caps. Millions 

more of the most at-risk Americans 

would become uninsured or underinsured because of this budget. 

Medicaid spending would be slashed 

by $810 billion over 10 years, a 22 percent cut. 

This would jeopardize health care for 

nearly 7.3 million Medi-Cal beneficiaries in California, many of whom 

would see reduced eligibility, coverage 

of fewer services and increased out-ofpocket expenses. 

Low-income pregnant women who depend on Medicaid could be dropped 

from the program, a threat to health of 

both mother and baby. 

Let me be candid: The Ryan budget is 

just another salvo in the war against 

the middle class and working poor. 

It would mean more tax cuts for the 

wealthy at the expense of investments 

in our future, it would lead to greater 

numbers of uninsured and it would demolish some of the most vital safety 

net programs in the Nation. 

Let’s set aside the politics and get to 

work on real solutions for the country. 

f 

MORNING BUSINESS 

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask 

unanimous consent that the Senate 

proceed to a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak 

therein for up to 10 minutes each. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without 

objection, it is so ordered. 

f 

RECOGNIZING THE CONGRESSIONAL MANAGEMENT FOUNDATION 

Mr. REID. Mr. President, I stand before you today to congratulate the 

Congressional Management Foundation 

on its 35th anniversary of service to 

Capitol Hill. Founded in 1977, CMF is a 

non-profit, nonpartisan organization 

dedicated to improving management 

practices within the Halls of Congress, 

as well as facilitating better communication between legislators and their 

constituents. By improving congressional operations, providing institutional research, and educating Americans on how Congress actually works, 

the Congressional Management Foundation has been a valuable contributor 

to building trust and effectiveness in 

Congress. 

The Congressional Management 

Foundation strives to help legislators 

get off on the right foot even before 

they are sworn into office. Within 5 

days after election day, all incoming 

freshmen receive a copy of ‘‘Setting 

Course’’ and ‘‘The 90-Day Road Map’’— 


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