David Weldon: “President Clinton's Medicare trustees told us Medicare will be bankrupt by the year 2002. As a physician, I am one of a…”

“President Clinton's Medicare trustees told us Medicare will be bankrupt by the year 2002. As a physician, I am one of a few Members of Congress who has treated Medicare patients. I understand how important this program is for the seniors and the future generations. Under the Republican plan, Medicare spending increases from $4,800 to $6,700. This is per senior. This is an increase of $1,900 and exceeds the projected inflation rate. For those in the other party and in the media who keep calling this a cut, I should put it another way. If you had a basket with 48 apples in it, how do you get to 67? Do you add apples to the basket or do you take apples out? Republicans agree that you add 19 apples to the basket in order to reach 67. Matehmatics agrees with us. We are increasing Medicare, but at a less than 10-percent rate increase. This is responsible and reasonable, and we will preserve and protect the Medicare plan. I urge all of my colleagues to support the Republican proposal.”