Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 104 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION
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E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 104 CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION Vol. 142 WASHINGTON, TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 1996 No. 80 House of Representatives The House met at 12:30 p.m., and was lican plan to cut $270 billion from Med- most senior citizens in either managed called to order by the Speaker pro tem- icare to pay for tax breaks primarily care programs where they do not have pore [Mr. COBLE]. for the wealthy, and the Speaker choices or alternatively make them f knows the public opinion is not on his pay more out of pocket for the services side, so he is trying to confuse the that they get. DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO American people by making extreme I wanted to point out in the time I TEMPORE attacks on Democrats' integrity rather have remaining here what I would call The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- than addressing the Medicare issue cor- a number of key issues that I think re- fore the House the following commu- rectly. veal the true colors of the Gingrich- nication from the Speaker: I guess we should not be surprised be- Dole Medicare plan. First, the Repub- WASHINGTON, DC, cause it was Speaker GINGRICH who last lican leadership claims that Medicare June 4, 1996. year said it was his goal to see Medi- is going broke and they are saving it. I hereby designate the Honorable HOWARD care, and I quote, ``wither on the vine.'' Well, last year they knew they were COBLE to act as Speaker pro tempore on this The bottom line, Mr. Speaker, is that cutting Medicare before the Medicare day. the Republicans want to use the budg- trustees' report came out. The trust- NEWT GINGRICH, et, this budget that they passed a few ees' report was used and will be used Speaker of the House of Representatives. weeks ago and is now in conference again this year to masquerade their f with the Senate, as the vehicle for true motives, which is to cut Medicare MORNING BUSINESS transforming Medicare in a very radi- for tax cuts for the wealthy. cal way. Second, it is likely that the Medicare The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- My position is, and I believe it is that trustees will report that the part A ant to the order of the House of May 12, of most Democrats, if changes in Medi- trust fund will become insolvent, they 1995, the Chair will now recognize care are to come they should not be are claiming, I think, we expect the re- Members from lists submitted by the made in the context of the budget, they port to say that the insolvency projec- majority and minority leaders for should not be a vehicle to make cuts in tion is about 5 years from now. Well, morning hour debates. The Chair will Medicare that would be used for other Democrats are interested in shoring up alternate recognition between the par- priorities, such as tax breaks for the the Medicare trust fund and have voted ties, with each party limited to not to wealthy or increased defense spending for plans that achieve this goal. exceed 30 minutes, and each Member or whatever other initiatives the Re- President Clinton has proposed a except the majority and minority lead- publicans plan for the budget. plan that will extend the life of the er limited to not to exceed 5 minutes. Now, we know this Wednesday the Medicare program, if you will, for at The Chair recognizes the gentleman Medicare trustees are going to come least another 10 years. So this notion from New Jersey [Mr. PALLONE] for 5 out with their annual report and al- that somehow the Republicans are sav- minutes. ready we are hearing that the Speaker ing Medicare is simply false. The f and the Republican leadership are Democrats have put forward proposals going to use this report, which will that would save Medicare and prevent GINGRICH-DOLE MEDICARE PLAN show again that Medicare does need solvency but not make basic structural AND DEMOCRATIC ALTERNATIVE some changes in order for it not to be- changes in the Medicare program. Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, this come insolvent 5 or 6 years from now, Third, the GOP claim they are mere- weekend on NBC's ``Meet the Press,'' but the bottom line is that the Repub- ly slowing the rate of growth of Medi- House Speaker NEWT GINGRICH went on lican leadership plan to save Medicare care with their drastic cuts. Well, let the attack on Medicare once again, and is not an effort to make some adjust- us be honest about it. When the Ging- now he claims that the President and ments in Medicare so that it remains rich-Dole rate of growth does not keep the Democrats in Congress are delib- solvent and so that the money is avail- pace with the increasing medical costs, erately misleading the American peo- able to continue the program as it cur- then seniors will either pay more or see ple about his plan; that is, the Repub- rently exists. Rather, they want to reduced services and second class lican plan, so-called plan to save Medi- make major radical structural changes health care. care. I would like to tell my colleagues in the Medicare program that will re- This was Speaker GINGRICH's main that nothing could be further from the duce the quality of care, will reduce point over the weekend on ``Meet the truth. Last year the American people senior's ability to choose their own Press.'' He claimed, oh, we are just overwhelmingly rejected the Repub- doctors or hospitals and basically force slowing the growth of Medicare, we are b This symbol represents the time of day during the House proceedings, e.g., b 1407 is 2:07 p.m. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. H5759 H5760 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð HOUSE June 4, 1996 not making cuts. Well, if the growth eral position on controversial social is- during the Reagan era were able to at- does not keep up with inflation how in sues. tract millions of registered Democrat the world are average senior citizens Its conducted survey found when ask- voters largely on the strength of Rea- going to get quality care or the same ing their party affiliation, it did show gan's social conservatism. As conserv- level of services they get now? 40 percent of the women out of this ative leaders, we have the ability to at- Fourth, the GOP claims the Ging- 1,000 people that they asked, 40 percent tract these voters, including these so- rich-Dole Medicare plan offers choices. of the women identified themselves as called women's issues. The gender gap In fact, they are taking away senior Democrat, 29 percent as Republican is removed. choices. Their plan will co-op senior and 25 percent as Independent. The Mr. Speaker, the gender gap is a fig- citizens into managed care plans or Democrats appear to have an advan- ment of the liberals and the media's HMO's, forcing them to give up their tage because the gender gap assumes imagination. For once the issues are choice of doctors. women voters hold liberal positions on clearly explained by the overwhelming And lastly, I wanted to mention, Mr. many issues. This assumption would majority of women today of all politi- Speaker, how the Gingrich-Dole plan appear to create a risk for candidates cal persuasions accepting the conserv- differs from the Democratic alter- who take a conservative position on is- ative approach to abortion, adoption, natives. In addition to the steep cuts, sues. family values, welfare reform, and ho- the Gingrich-Dole plan makes radical In terms of political philosophy, how- mosexual rights. Today's women are structural changes to Medicare. For in- ever, 53 percent of all the women sur- basically conservative. stance, it calls for steeper cuts to hos- veyed identified themselves as conserv- f pitals, compounded with extreme Med- ative; that is, women who identified icaid cuts, and hospitals will simply themselves as Democrats were also WHAT THE GENDER GAP IS ALL close. identifying themselves as conserv- ABOUT Additionally, the Gingrich-Dole plan atives. This clearly shows party affili- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under will allow doctors remaining in the tra- ation does not automatically translate the Speaker's announced policy of May ditional Medicare to charge seniors into liberal ideology nor an outright 12, 1995, the gentlewoman from Colo- more in out-of-pockets costs. The pro- rejection of conservatism. rado [Mrs. SCHROEDER] is recognized tection existing now when you go to While the NOW organization is often during morning business for 5 minutes. the doctor, he cannot charge you more accepted as the standard position for Mrs. SCHROEDER. Mr. Speaker, I than 15 percent. That is gone. Now they women voters, this organization actu- am delighted to be following the prior can charge whatever they want. ally emphasizes the gender gap by pro- gentleman onto the floor, because I And, last, concerning the controver- moting the notion that women's issues want to talk a bit about the gender gap sial medical accounts, the MSA's, or I such as abortion are the sole deter- and how I think they still just do not call them the wealthy-healthy ac- minant for women voters. Well, this is get it. counts, the nonpartisan Congressional not true.