Louise Slaughter: “Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, Medicare is one of the most important successful social programs in the history of this…”

“Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, Medicare is one of the most important successful social programs in the history of this country. For nearly 40 years, Medicare has been a lifeline for our senior citizens. I certainly do not argue that Medicare is perfect. Thanks to extraordinary advances in medical science, it is clear that Medicare needs a real prescription drug benefit. The program should be strengthened so that future generations have access to high quality, affordable health care, but I believe that Medicare is a sacred trust between the United States government and the seniors of this country. The Republican majority in this House clearly does not believe what I believe, because if they did, this bill would not be before us. This is a bill that fails to give seniors the drug benefit they need and deserve and expect. This bill forces millions of seniors to pay more for their prescription drugs. This bill is a huge give-away to the HMOs and the drug companies. This bill does nothing to control the exploding costs of medicine. And worst of all, this bill shoves Medicare down the path to privatization. It ends Medicare as we know it. This is a defining issue. You can put all the bells and whistles and spin on it that you want.…”