June 3, 2011 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H4031 their assumptions and plans based away, these are critical problems, and All of the work that will be done to around what the government promised they shouldn’t be demagogued as we actually develop the legislative prod- they were going to do? For that indi- bring solutions to the floor to debate. uct will be done in the committees that vidual aged 55 or older, nothing That’s what has been happening. So Mr. THOMPSON and I are on in the changes. I happen to fall into that age there is no way we should allow the House and that Members of the other group. As Mr. THOMPSON alluded to, I politics of 2012 to affect the critical body are on in the Senate. The actual would happily opt into the group that problem-solving of 2011. work will be done on those committees, is going to have choices because I After the Balanced Budget Act of and there will be ample opportunity for would rather have choices than a pre- 1997, I had the privilege as a health people to comment, for people to con- scribed benefit. care professional to be recruited to tact their legislators. There will be pe- serve on a technical expert panel for b 1520 riods of open comment at the Federal Medicare. At the time, it was the agencies as those laws are written. Nevertheless, those individuals who Health Care Finance Administration. They won’t be written in the next cou- are 55 and older will see no change, the Today, it’s the Centers for Medicare ple of months. They will be written thought being that they have already and Medicaid Services. Based on that over the next several years. structured their lives and their retire- experience, this is necessary. This is a The point I would end with is that we ments based on the fact that this necessary debate. This is necessary in are entering a phase of a long conversa- order to save Medicare, and it’s an op- promise had been made. For individ- tion with the American people about portunity for us. uals who are younger than that, when what the future of this program is, there is still time to make some ad- We have had previous reforms. The most recent one I saw was under Presi- which arguably has been a good pro- justments in your post-work years, gram in the past but, left untouched, is your retirement years, there will be a dent Bush where he created the waiver program. That was a reform to an enti- headed for some significant problems different program. in the future. Now you ask: For people who are 54 tlement program that actually in- creased the quality of life and de- So what is the forward-looking path years of age and younger, is that fair for our Medicare system and for our to do this? creased the costs of many people who were institutionalized, living in nurs- seniors of both today and tomorrow? It Well, I think both Mr. THOMPSON and will be a long conversation, but we are I have articulated what ‘‘fair’’ will ing homes. Frankly, I like nursing homes. I think they can be very qual- both up to it, and we can talk for a look like if you don’t do something. long time without pausing. I look for- What ‘‘fair’’ will look like if you don’t ity facilities, and I was an adminis- trator at one time. Yet people should ward to working with you on many do something is either vastly restricted afternoons on this very subject. benefits, as has been recommended by have the choice of where they live if they’re living with a significant dis- Madam Speaker, I yield back the bal- the Medicare trustees, vastly restricted ance of my time. benefits as dictated by the Independent ability. It was President Bush’s waiver Payment Advisory Board, or perhaps program, a reform actually, that al- f no Medicare program at all. After all, lowed that to occur. So ‘‘reform,’’ I think, can be a word LEAVE OF ABSENCE the makeup of the voting public in 10- used to scare people, but we need to By unanimous consent, leave of ab- to 15-years’ time is going to be dif- talk about the specifics of why it is sence was granted to: ferent than what it is today, and the necessary and the opportunities that Mr. BASS of New Hampshire (at the makeup of the voting population in 10- we have, I believe, to increase the qual- request of Mr. CANTOR) for today on ac- to 15-years’ time may feel significantly ity of care, to decrease costs, to even count of attending the funeral of different about paying 60, 65, 70, 75 per- increase access—all those—and cer- former Congressman Peter Freling- cent of their paychecks in order to con- tainly choice since the health care con- huysen. tinue benefits that were promised by a sumers are making decisions. Those f Congress 60 years before. are four principles that we share as a This type of intergenerational anx- caucus as to whatever we do in health ADJOURNMENT iety is just around the corner, and if we care. In looking at Medicare reform, I Mr. BURGESS. Madam Speaker, I don’t deal with it head on, if we don’t think that our plan, which is really the take it as a serious responsibility, then move that the House do now adjourn. only viable plan, honors all four of The motion was agreed to; accord- it, indeed, could set the stage for some those qualities. significant strife down the road be- ingly (at 3 o’clock and 27 minutes So I look forward to continuing this p.m.), under its previous order, the tween today’s children and tomorrow’s debate. We need to have a good, trans- grandparents. That is why it is so im- House adjourned until Tuesday, June 7, parent debate, but it needs to be a de- 2011, at 10 a.m. portant that we address this situation bate that is not based on demagoguery. today. It’s a debate that needs to be based on f G.T., I have said what I had intended the facts. I thank my colleague for OATH FOR ACCESS TO CLASSIFIED to say today. If you have any addi- hosting this Special Order time. INFORMATION tional comments or closing thoughts, Mr. BURGESS. I think we’ll look for- we’ll wind down this hour a little ward to having similar discussions in Under clause 13 of rule XXIII, the fol- early. the future, probably frequently, be- lowing Members executed the oath for Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. I cause it’s important that we not just access to classified information: appreciate that. Thanks again for have the debate with both sides of the Gary L. Ackerman, Sandy Adams, Robert hosting this hour. Chamber. It’s also important that we B. Aderholt, W. Todd Akin, Rodney Alex- Whether we’re talking about address- have the conversation with the Amer- ander, Jason Altmire, Justin Amash, Robert ing the deficit or whether we’re talking ican people. E. Andrews, Steve Austria, Joe Baca, about saving Medicare—frankly, both Michele Bachmann, Spencer Bachus, Tammy I would remind people that the Re- Baldwin, Lou Barletta, John Barrow, Roscoe of those issues are intertwined—we’ve publican budget that was passed in G. Bartlett, Joe Barton, Charles F. Bass, got to save the country, and we’ve got April was an aspirational document. It Karen Bass, Xavier Becerra, Dan Benishek, to save the Medicare program. What we wasn’t terribly long. If you look at Rick Berg, Shelley Berkley, Howard L. Ber- cannot do is allow the politics of 2012 something that becomes an actual law, man, Judy Biggert, Brian P. Bilbray, Gus M. to affect the problem-solving of critical it can get fairly long and intricate, but Bilirakis, Rob Bishop, Sanford D. Bishop, problems in 2011. That’s what we have the budget was an aspirational docu- Jr., Timothy H. Bishop, Diane Black, Marsha seen so far. Where the facts are evident ment that set the goals. In 10-years’ Blackburn, Earl Blumenauer, John A. and clear that this country is facing a time, we want to see Medicare on a sus- Boehner, Jo Bonner, Mary Bono Mack, Mad- eleine Z. Bordallo, Dan Boren, Leonard L. critical deficit that could bankrupt it tainable path. We want to preserve, Boswell, Charles W. Boustany, Jr., Kevin and where the numbers for Medicare protect and defend it for the future, Brady, Robert A. Brady, Bruce L. Braley, Mo are such that its insolvency is impend- and this aspirational document sets Brooks, Paul C. Broun, Corrine Brown, Vern ing and bankruptcy occurs and it goes the pathway for achieving that goal. Buchanan, Larry Bucshon, Ann Marie VerDate Mar 15 2010 01:43 Jun 04, 2011 Jkt 099060 PO 00000 Frm 00043 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K03JN7.094 H03JNPT1 jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with HOUSE H4032 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE June 3, 2011 Buerkle, Michael C. Burgess, Dan Burton, G. Mike McIntyre, Howard P. ‘‘Buck’’ McKeon, Protection Agency, transmitting the Agen- K. Butterfield, Ken Calvert, Dave Camp, David B. McKinley, Cathy McMorris Rod- cy’s final rule — Data Requirements for John Campbell, Francisco ‘‘Quico’’ Canseco, gers, Jerry McNerney, Patrick Meehan, Antimicrobial Pesticides; notification to the Eric Cantor, Shelley Moore Capito, Lois Gregory W. Meeks, John L. Mica, Michael H.