Political Quotes

“I have in my hand a letter signed by some 80 businesses and business organizations objecting to the increase in the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 67. These are not just a few odds and ends when it comes to the business profile of America. We not only have a letter signed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, but also the National Association of Manufacturers, companies like ARCO and Bell Atlantic, Chrysler Corp., Ford, General Motors, and the list goes on and on. Making the point my colleague from Rhode Island made, they have already made a commitment to their employees and it is this: We will protect you with health insurance as a member of our family, our corporate family, after retirement until you are eligible for Medicare. Now, if we raise the Medicare eligibility 2 years, these companies having made that commitment have a new liability that they had not anticipated. It is not only a cost but a disincentive to these and other companies to make that kind of promise. That is the real world.”