Political Quotes

“I rise today to oppose the balanced budget agreement. This deal is praised as a bipartisan victory--that we have balanced the budget and increased spending for some social programs. Nothing is further from the truth. This balanced budget deal was achieved primarily by drastic cuts-- $115 billion from Medicare--the major health program for the elderly, and $13 billion in savings from Medicaid--the major Federal program providing health care for poor people. The budget gets balanced by cutting Medicare payments to doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers. The budget deal freezes Medicare payments to hospitals at the fiscal year 1997 level--even though we all know that the demand and costs are rising. And this deal reduces Medicare and Medicaid payments for hospitals that serve a disproportionate number of low-income patients--the very poor--the uninsured. These include public hospitals like Cook County Hospital in Chicago and the University of Chicago Hospital in the First Congressional District. And the cuts also hurt those whose very breath depends on home oxygen. The budget cuts payments for oxygen and oxygen equipment. This budget deal was paid for with another deal--generous tax cuts that favor those who are better off. Only a quarter of these cuts go to people making less than $100,000 a year. Thirty-six percent of these cuts go to the top 1 percent of income earners.”