On the recordMay 25, 2011
The ``Road to Ruin'' Republican budget will end Medicare. It will end a program that 46 million seniors and disabled individuals depend on for their health care. In fact, the end of Medicare will mean seniors are forced to pay more for prescription drugs, they will lose free wellness visits, and they will be forced to pay more out of pocket. In fact, the Republican plan will cause seniors to dip into their pockets twice as deeply as they do today by the year 2020 and three times more by 2030. And what do we get with the end of Medicare? Where are these funds directed? To continue tax breaks for Big Oil, to continue loopholes for corporations that ship jobs overseas, and to provide tax breaks for the wealthiest amongst us--those who need them least. Mr. Speaker, Americans oppose the efforts to end Medicare. I ask my colleagues to work with us to strengthen the program, not destroy it. ____________________
