On the recordMay 24, 2011
Reclaiming my time, I would say to my friend from Georgia, do you know what? If those tax benefits are taken away at $100 a barrel, we can put them into Medicare. We can use them to balance the budget. But I heard my other friend from Georgia say, well, this is what's causing the bankruptcy. {time} 1800 That is just not true. This country was running a surplus, for goodness sake, and Americans understand that. They know what got us into trouble financially, and it wasn't Medicare. So now to take it out of Medicare and just take it out of our senior citizens where a program is actually working, the goal of that program is so Americans could live longer, healthier lives in their senior years. It's working. But no, let's go blame that instead of the tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires. Let's forget about those wars and the cost to the country, and let's forget about the fact that we had a crash on Wall Street. My friends on the Republican side of the aisle say: Hey, this is a perfect time to go after Medicare. We didn't like it before, we still don't like it; let's get it. With that, I yield back the balance of my time. The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, proceedings will now resume on those amendments---- Point of Order
