H 4556 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD—HOUSE May 9, 1995

The American people know instinctively that a government cannot continue to spend money that it does not

have. Only one time in the last 50 years

has Congress actually balanced the

budget.

We, as Republicans, believe that balancing the budget is our contract with

our children, because we cannot continue to spend money that we do not

have, giving our children and theirs the

bill.

When it comes to Medicare, we are

going to protect, preserve, and improve

Medicare. We are going to spend hundreds of billions of dollars more over

the next 7 years as we balance the

budget. Medicare spending is going to

increase from $4,700 per enrollee to

$6,400 at the end of 7 years.

So when you hear people talking

about cutting Medicare, they are

wrong. We are going to increase spending for Medicare and protect this program that is so vital to our seniors.

(Ms. NORTON asked and was given

THE HEALTH CARE DEBATE

fpermission to address the House for 1

minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)

Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, nobody

was home on the other side of the aisle

last year when the President pressed

health care reform as the only way to

contain runaway costs. Suddenly Republicans have discovered the cost side

of his equation, but it will not balance

without health care reform.

Tax cuts for the rich just passed by

the House make this a mass problem

with no possible solution. In the Senate some Republicans are trying to

dodge the bullet by disowning the tax

cuts while other Republicans over

there would rather die than give them

up.

This is no way to celebrate May,

which is Older Americans Month. Their

equation is already out of balance with

20 percent of their income going for

out-of-pocket health care expenses.

The only way to relieve them and cut

costs at the same time is to mop up all

the inefficiency in health care with

across-the-board reform.

Medicare is not out of control. The

health care system is. Tax cuts for the

rich make a bad situation worse.

MORE ON REPUBLICANS AND

fMEDICARE

(Mr. WISE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1

minute.)

Mr. WISE. Mr. Speaker, I could not

let the last Republican speaker pass

unchallenged who says we are really

going to increase Medicare. Well, I

guess it is sort of like Medicare, you

are going to get the same level of services, but we are going to cut you back

a significant percent.

If it is going to then be increased,

why it is so many senior citizens understand that they are going to lose on

the average $900 a year? The real concern I have is, why is this being done?

Is it being done to help Medicare? It

is not being done to help Medicare. It is

being done to pay for the tax cut. That

is right, the tax cut for the wealthiest

individuals in this country where 51

percent of the benefits of that tax cut

go to those earning over $100,000. The

only problem is, if you are going to balance the budget, you have to make up

for the over $300 billion of lost revenue

that is going to come because of that

tax cut.

Where does it come from? Out of the

hide of Medicare, out of the hide of senior citizens and out of the hide of

health care.

DON’T MAKE SENIORS PAY FOR

TAX CUTS FOR THE RICH

f(Mr. LEWIS of Georgia asked and was

given permission to address the House

for 1 minute and to revise and extend

his remarks.)

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Mr. Speaker,

I rise today to say to my colleagues on

the other side of the aisle: Do not cut

Medicare to pay for tax cuts for the

rich.

Under some Republican plans, seniors—37 million seniors—will pay an

additional $900 each year for health

care. These cuts will be used to pay for

tax cuts for the rich. For people who

earn more than $230,000.

That is not right. That is not fair.

Medicare is the lifeline for many of

our seniors.

It is time to be frank and honest with

the American people. Tell them what

you are doing and why. Lay all your

cards on the table, face up.

Do not take health care from our

senior citizens to pay for tax cuts for

the rich. That is not Medicare reform.

And our senior citizens will not be

fooled.

HONOR WORLD WAR II VETERANS

CUTTING MEDICARE NO WAY TO

f(Ms. DELAURO asked and was given

permission to address the House for 1

minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)

Ms. DELAURO. Mr. Speaker, as we

celebrate the 50th anniversary of the

end of World War II, we honor the

brave American soldiers who put their

lives on the line to secure our freedom.

But, we owe World War II veterans

more than parades down Main Street,

medal ceremonies, and memorials. We

owe them the security of a decent and

dignified retirement. Medicare is

central to that promise. By cutting

Medicare for seniors, Republicans

break that promise.

Under the Republican budget proposal, 37 million seniors will lose $900 a

year, while 1.1 million wealthy Americans get a $20,000 windfall. A side by

side comparison, reveals the painful

tradeoff: $305 billion in Medicare cuts

will pay for a $345 billion tax cut for

the wealthy.

This budget debate is all about priorities. All of us agree that we need to

cut spending, but the question is where

do you start. The wrong place to start

is by cutting health care for seniors. If

we truly want to honor the men and

women who secured our future 50 years

ago, let us secure their futures today,

let’s protect Medicare.

(Mr. TRAFICANT asked and was

BANKRUPTCY IN AMERICA

fgiven permission to address the House

for 1 minute and to revise and extend

his remarks.)

Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, while

everybody is celebrating V–E Day, victory in Europe, I would like to talk

about B–A Day, Bankruptcy in America Day. Think about it. For 50 years

America has given trillions, trillions of

dollars to Europe and Japan. And in return Japan keeps ripping us off with illegal trade. And as we speak, Russia is

now concluding a deal to build nuclear

reactors in Iran.

Beam me up. With friends like this,

my colleagues, why does America have

to worry about any enemies? I say let

us stop this cash giveaway to Europe

and Japan, start investing that money

in America. Then we would not have to

tinker with Medicare.

Wake up, Congress. Our policies are

so misdirected, if you threw at the

ground they would probably miss.

(Mr. LEVIN asked and was given perTRADE WITH JAPAN

fmission to address the House for 1

minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, in this box

is a part. It is a universal joint. I

bought it on Main Street America yesterday, Main Street, Royal Oak, MI. It

costs $11.47. In Japan, this part would

cost over $100.

What does it mean, this differential?

It means fewer jobs here in the United

States because our products are locked

out in Japan. It means fewer jobs and

smaller profits for our industry which

could be invested.

It also means the Japanese consumers are overcharged, and it also means

that Japanese companies use profits

from their sheltered markets to gain

market share here to invest in the rest

of Asia and elsewhere with an unfair

advantage.

It is long overdue that Japan open up

their automotive sector to parts and to

cars. Talk has not worked. Action is

necessary. We support the administration’s efforts.

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REPUBLICANS WILL SAVE, PROTECT, PRESERVE, AND IMPROVE

THE MEDICARE SYSTEM

(Mr. TATE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1