Harold Volkmer: “it is flimflam time in the U.S. House of Representatives again. What do I mean by that? When we passed the budget, the…”

“it is flimflam time in the U.S. House of Representatives again. What do I mean by that? When we passed the budget, the Republican budget calls for huge cuts in Medicare in order to give tax breaks for the wealthy. But when the Republican Members went back home, they said, ``No, we're not making big cuts in Medicare. We're strengthening Medicare. We're improving Medicare.'' Well, I went home and I talked to my hospital administrators, three of them, including one in my hometown. On Friday, I will be visiting three more rural hospitals. What did they say? They did not say that Republican budget cuts in Medicare will improve Medicare, will strengthen Medicare. No. In my regional hospital at Hannibal, MO, by the year 2002, a loss of $1.5 million a year in cuts--$1.5 million jeopardizes my hospital. What about Moberly Regional, $1 million in lost revenue. Audrain County Medicare, $1 million in lost revenue, jeopardizing rural hospital care with those Medicare cuts to give tax breaks for the wealthy.”