Jack Kingston: “I would love to. I think that I am touching bases on what the gentleman is saying. When we are increasing the spending…”

“I would love to. I think that I am touching bases on what the gentleman is saying. When we are increasing the spending per recipient from $4,800 to $6,700, we are clearly not cutting. But what we are doing is ending 'politics as usual.' I am honored to be on the floor with the two freshmen Members, who have so much energy and vibrance and have brought so much reform to this body. But the one message of the freshman class has been this is not politics as usual. They are going to be realistic and they will address the trustees' report by the Clinton administration that says Medicare is going to be bankrupt in seven years. In doing this, the freshman class, along with the leadership, has worked for a long-term practical solution, a solution that offers choice of physicians, that offers simplified language. I heard you speaking earlier about grandma and so forth. I used to sell commercial insurance. I can say that one of the biggest problems people have with insurance, Medicare and so forth, is they cannot understand that stuff. To move towards simplified language and a clear choice of doctors, to move towards the clear choice of the different plans, if we want to get into a health maintenance organization, if we want to keep traditional Medicare, if we want to keep an insured private sector type plan, to have those options, I believe, is what our seniors want.”