Christopher Shays: “Well, it is a speech, but it is a very accurate speech. We are saying that last year we spent $4,800 per senior. It will…”

“Well, it is a speech, but it is a very accurate speech. We are saying that last year we spent $4,800 per senior. It will grow to 72 and now $7,000 in the 6th year from where we are today. That is a significant increase. And yet while seniors will still get that significant increase, we save, under our new plan, $158 billion. At one time it would have been over $200 billion, but the President vetoed that plan. We have a plan that will save $158 billion to the taxpayers. It still gives seniors more, and yet they will contribute to helping save this country candidly from financial ruin. We talk about getting our financial house in order and saving our trust fund. This fund is a little more nebulous, but it is something that is very near and dear to me because I believe that is where we probably have the biggest controversy and that is we are trying to transform other caretaking, social, corporate and farming welfare state into a caring opportunity society. We want people to be independent and not dependent on the Federal Government, and we want them to learn and to grow. We are not saying to someone in an urban area, your mother was on crack, you did not graduate from the 5th grade, I am sorry, you are on your own. No, we have to have a caring, aggressive plan to help individuals, but it cannot be the traditional handout.”