Political Quotes

“I rise tonight to give a brief review of how this Congress is fighting for our senior citizens across the country. First, we rolled back the Social Security tax increase of 1993. Second, we have raised the income eligibility level above $11,200 for those under 70. Over the next 5 years, Mr. Speaker, seniors will be able to earn income up to $30,000 without ever having a deduction from their Social Security. Third, Social Security is off the table, Mr. Speaker, when it comes to this budget. And fourth, now House Republicans are determined to save Medicare by using new approaches, new managements, and new technologies to improve it, preserve it, protect it, and eliminate the fraud and abuse. The Clinton Administration's Trustees Report on Medicare warns that the Medicare trust fund starts to go broke in 1996 and could be bankrupt by 2002. The current Government-controlled Health Care Finance Administration system has much waste and fraud. The General Accounting Office estimates $44 billion a year in Medicare and Medicaid fraud. Our legislation will obviously make sure that these changes are made so that a strong Medicare system is what we have restored. We also want to give senior citizens an incentive to fight waste and fraud by paying them 25 percent of any waste or fraud that they find on their bills. We want to strengthen and empower our senior citizens.”