Arlen Specter: “In the vote to table the Rockefeller amendment, I supported the budget resolution, which is moderate and maintains the…”

“In the vote to table the Rockefeller amendment, I supported the budget resolution, which is moderate and maintains the solvency of Medicare. Contrary to the argument that there are Medicare cuts, the fact is that Medicare expenditures increase by an average of 6.1 percent annually with the following total expenditures each year: 1996, $196 billion; 1997, $209 billion; 1998, $224 billion; 1999, $236 billion; 2000, $249 billion; 2001, $263 billion; 2002, $279 billion. On the 1996 budget resolution, I voted to increase Medicare expenditures when the rate of increase was reduced by $268 billion and there was a tax cut of $245 billion. In this budget resolution, the tax cut is limited to $122 billion to cover a child tax credit.”