Pete Domenici: “Well, Mr. President, I am suggesting that for those people who are covered by Medicare today and those who are going to…”

“Well, Mr. President, I am suggesting that for those people who are covered by Medicare today and those who are going to be covered by it in the future, it has been discussed on the floor of the Senate today that people are going to be shocked and they are going to have no insurance. I submit, if you are 36 years of age now, when you get to be 65, you will have 2 years added. So for people 36 years of age, it will be 67. How do any of the arguments made about not having coverage apply to that? Are they not going to have coverage? Of course, they are. If they have Medicare today, they are going to be working 16, 18 years from now, too--unless we assume everybody is no longer going to work, so you won't even qualify. Frankly, maybe we will not do this before the time this finishes conference. I don't know. The House didn't do it. But all I am trying to say is, if this is a major issue between the two parties--and luckily it isn't because some Democrats have the courage to face up to the truth--so no matter how much the leader on that side says this is distinguishing between the parties, there are some Democrats who agree with us. If it is being said that this is going to just annihilate senior citizens, I thought we ought to put a chart in and let Americans look at it. Let's ask a 36-year-old, would you rather have a chance of having Medicare solvent so it will be there for you?…”