Eva M. Clayton: “we should indeed ask ourselves what are the implications of this Medicare discussion. Are they the realities my…”

“we should indeed ask ourselves what are the implications of this Medicare discussion. Are they the realities my colleagues on the other side say? Well, the realities of cutting $168 million from rural America in the State I come from will mean that many of my senior citizens will have to pay more for their premium. The reality will mean that they will be forced into health care plans where they have no option. The reality will mean in many instances the hospitals that depend heavily on Medicare and Medicaid may have to close. So the reality of cutting so severely does not protect for the future. It denies opportunity. Also, what should be the expectation for us as we look for Medicare and the security in the future? It means we need to come together as bipartisan and to understand there are ways to protect but not necessarily cut and be extreme. Mr. Speaker, there are ways in which we can help the citizens who need help now and to protect in the future. It requires us not to be extreme. It requires us to think about the poor as we think about the rich. Mr. Speaker, we can do better than this.”