Anthony Weiner: “Mr. Lumpkin, who we are honoring today, if it were up to the members of the minority party, Mr. Lumpkin would not have…”

“Mr. Lumpkin, who we are honoring today, if it were up to the members of the minority party, Mr. Lumpkin would not have Medicare, would he? He would have had Social Security privatized. Now, I couldn't help noticing that not long ago the ranking minority member of the House Budget Committee, a Republican, floated a plan that for once, at least, was honest about the intentions of the Republicans. It said, Cut off Medicare. End it as a program we know. And I know that the previous speaker doesn't like it. A lot of my constituents believe it is a very worthy program. Ninety-six percent of all beneficiaries who were surveyed last year said they like it. But the Republicans say, No, we want to eliminate it. And let's not forget how many of them signed on the dotted line to privatize Social Security. Boy, that seems smart, huh? Investing Social Security in the stock market. Now, that is a far-reaching idea. Now, Mr. Lumpkin, who, God willing, will live another 20, 25 more years, he is going to be able to see Medicare for the rest of his life, thanks to the bill we are going to pass in short order, and no thanks to the votes of the people on the other side of the aisle who would deny him that.”