H 5086 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE May 17, 1995

about saving the Republican’s political

behind. They have made promises to

the most financially secure people in

this country, and they choose to pay

for them by taking from our most vulnerable.

If this were about reform, we would

have seen more action from the Republicans. Where were they in February

1994 when this issue came up? They did

not have anything to say. Where were

they when fundamental health care reform was being debated in this country? They were obstructionists. Where

were they when the Danforth-Kerrey

proposal came out? They had nothing

to say. Where was this issue when they

were writing their Contract With

America? It was a nonstarter. And

where were they in February of this

year when the trustees’ report came

out again? Nowhere to be seen.

Mr. Speaker, it is only when they

have to make good on the promises to

the wealthy that they have turned to

the services to our elderly to get the

money. Shame, shame, shame.

(Mrs. SEASTRAND asked and was

SAVING MEDICARE

fgiven permission to address the House

for 1 minute and to revise and extend

her remarks.)

Mrs. SEASTRAND. Mr. Speaker, for

the first time in 25 years Congress is

actually offering a budget that will

bring it into balance and deal with the

Medicare crisis. As every Member in

this Chamber knows, the Medicare

trust fund begins to go bankrupt next

year and will be completely insolvent

in 7 years. As President Clinton’s Medicare trustees said in their annual report, the trust fund: ‘‘* * * will be able

to pay benefits for only about 7 years

and is severely out of financial balance

in the long range.’’

The report also says: ‘‘The trustees

believe that prompt, effective, and decisive action is necessary.’’

Yesterday’s Invester’s Business Daily

pointed out President Clinton’s recent

flip-flop on Medicare. And I quote the

President:

We propose to let it go up at two times the

rate of inflation. That is not a Medicare or

Medicaid cut. So when you hear all this business about cuts, let me caution you that that

is not what is going on. We are going to have

increases in Medicare and Medicaid, and a

reduction in the rate of growth.

Mr. Speaker, where is the President

now?

VOTE FOR A BALANCED BUDGET

fNOW

(Mr. PETE GEREN of Texas asked

and was given permission to address

the House for 1 minute and to revise

and extend his remarks.)

Mr. PETE GEREN of Texas. Mr.

Speaker, a balanced budget is good for

America. The status quo is bad. Bad for

children, bad for seniors, bad for the

middle class, and bad for the present

and bad for the future.

The status quo means Medicare goes

broke in 6 years, not cut by 5 percent,

not cut by 7 percent, but goes broke.

The status quo means financial ruin.

That destroys our ability to defend

ourselves, feed our children or meet

our health care needs.

Folks, the status quo means we go

broke. Tomorrow we have a choice between four balanced budgets. I urge my

colleagues to pick one. A balanced

budget is good for America, good for all

Americans, young and old. The time is

now.

WORK TOGETHER TO SAVE

fMEDICARE

(Mr. CHABOT asked and was given

permission to address the House for 1

minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. CHABOT. Mr. Speaker, let us go

over it one more time. According to

the President’s own advisors, the Medicare Trust Fund will be bankrupt by

the year 2002. Republicans have crafted

a bill which will save Medicare.

Let me refer to this chart. In doing

so, we have proposed that Federal

spending on Medicare increase from

$178 to $258 billion. Let me repeat that.

Medicare will go up under the Republican plan. And what is the Democrat

Medicare plan? Are they working tirelessly to save a system that their own

leaders maintain is going bankrupt?

Not a chance.

What they are doing is running, one

after another, to the camera, the nearest camera, to proclaim that Republicans are cutting Medicare. It is not

true.

Mr. Speaker, I would say to my Democrat friends that the American people

are not going to fall for their distortions. But they might help. I think the

American people are going to wonder

why the Democrats are not helping to

save Medicare. Let us work together to

save Medicare.

THREE CHEERS FOR THE WHITE

fHOUSE

(Mr. TRAFICANT asked and was

given permission to address the House

for 1 minute and to revise and extend

his remarks.)

Mr. TRAFICANT. Hear, hear, Mr.

Speaker. Three cheers for the White

House, who has finally slapped Japan

with a big time 100-percent tariff on

luxury vehicles.

And guess what? Acura is a crying,

Infiniti is now finite, Toyota is toasted, Nissan is nixed, Mazda is maxed,

Mitsubishi is busted, and Lexus is nauseous. But in the words of Bob Dylan,

how does it feel, Japan? Because you

see, we here in America know that Lincoln had been shrinking, Cadillac had

been lacking, and Chrysler was almost

mort.

So think about it, Members. It is

about time we used a 2 by 4 and open

those markets. Open those markets in

Japan if you want to straighten out the

budget in America.

And one thing, Japan, think of this:

When you hold your own trade program

to your nosey, it doesn’t smell too

rosy, does it? In the words of Bob

Dylan, how does it feel? Big time tariffs. I yield back the balance of these

huge tariffs.

(Mr. HOKE asked and was given perSOLUTION TO SAVE MEDICARE

fmission to address the House for 1

minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. HOKE. Mr. Speaker, here is the

problem. The fund is projected to be

exhausted in 2001. Signed by the Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of

Labor, Secretary of Health and Human

Services. Medicare is going broke. Projected to be exhausted, 2001. Here is our

solution.

We increase spending from $4,700 to

$6,300 per capita, at the same time

slowing the rate of growth from about

10.5 to 5.5 percent. We save Medicare,

we balance the budget, and we preserve

the blessings of liberty to ourselves

and our posterity.

Here is the President’s plan.

Let me go over this one more time.

Here is the problem. The fund is going

to be exhausted in 2001. Here is the solution. We are increasing spending

while reducing the rate of growth. And

here is the President’s plan.

Yes, that is an ostrich.

PROPOSED CUTS TO MEDICARE

AND MEDICAID TITLE

f(Mr. BALDACCI asked and was given

permission to address the House for 1

minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. BALDACCI. Mr. Speaker, some of

our colleagues have proposed drastic

cuts to the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Over the next 7 years, their

budget would cut them by over $465 billion. At the same time, their budget

proposes a tax break for the people

that are earning over $250,000 and will

cost more than $340 billion over the

same period.

I have spoken to several people in my

district who would be affected by these

changes. The comment of one older

gentleman struck me as particularly

on target. He told me that he understood that the Medicare system is broken and needs to be fixed. All seniors

ask of the Congress, he said, is that we

make changes in a considered and rational way that will actually help to

save the system.

Yes, we must slow the growth in

Medicare and Medicaid spending. And

yes, we must absolutely ensure the solvency of the Medicare Part A Trust

Fund. America’s seniors are willing to

contribute their fair share to this effort.

However, we must not balance the

budget on the backs of senior Americans. Nor should we ask our senior citizens to endure these cuts while we use

the savings to pay for proposed tax