On the recordApril 18, 2012
When I entered public service, I promised I would never forget those Americans who built this Nation. They educated my generation, passing on a better, stronger country than they inherited. Nearly 50 years ago, Congress passed Medicare, and President Lyndon Johnson signed it, with former President Harry Truman and Bess Truman sitting at his side. America promised that if you worked hard, we would not forget you in your golden years. We promised that health care bills would not drag seniors into financial ruin. The Republican budget breaks that promise. It tells our parents and grandparents to fend for themselves, and it ends the Medicare guarantee. The promise that I made, that this country made, and that I demand this Congress uphold, is that we treat seniors like national treasures and not national burdens. The Republican budget fails that promise to America's seniors. ____________________
