Rep. Tom Petri joined an overwhelming bipartisan majority in the U.S. House today in passing legislation to balance the budget by 2002 while preserving Medicare from bankruptcy.
Nobody likes everything in it, but on the whole it's a solid step forward.
Congress is making good on its commitments and setting the country on course to a prosperous future. It also expands state flexibility in providing health care to the nation's poorest and most vulnerable, and helps states move people from welfare rolls onto payrolls. We are extending Medicare's solvency for another decade, which will give us time to solve the funding problems we expect from the retirement of the Baby Boomer generation. Especially in rural areas like central Wisconsin the bill gives seniors more choices about their care, and it extends preventive benefits to help them stay healthy longer.