Political Quotes

“48 years ago today, Lyndon Johnson, in Independence, Missouri, signed into law the Medicare program in the presence of former President Harry S. Truman. It's important when you think about that event, which I would argue transformed our country, to go back in time and remember that seniors in 1965, only half had health insurance of any sort; 30 percent of America's seniors lived in poverty; and life expectancy for America's seniors was age 70. If you fast toward today, 48 years later, we have universal health insurance coverage for all seniors, life expectancy is now age 79, and only 7 percent of seniors live below the poverty line. The decision by Congress earlier that year--it was April of 1965 when our colleague, Congressman John Dingell, was sitting in the Speaker's Chair and brought the gavel down when the Medicare law was passed--has, again, paid off huge dividends in terms of transforming America's health care system. Back then, Medicare only covered doctor visits and hospital visits. Today, it covers a broad range of services for seniors--dialysis, medical equipment, outpatient services, such as prescription drug coverage--and as a result, the health care sector of our country has grown. For many, it has created literally careers and opportunities to pursue a system which, again, has produced great results for the folks who live in our country over age 65 and people on disability. Today, we have challenges that Medicare faces, but there is good news.…”