Lloyd Bentsen: “I believe this is a good blueprint to get us into balance by 2002. We have to remember of course this is a blueprint…”

“I believe this is a good blueprint to get us into balance by 2002. We have to remember of course this is a blueprint, there are no guarantees, but we certainly all hope that that is the case if it does become law. It is also far better than what we saw in the 104th Congress. Just for instance, if we look at Medicare and Medicaid, we are looking at reductions of $130 billion versus $450 billion that we saw in 1995 and 1996 that led to Government shutdowns. So we have come a long way; the largest increase in education since the Eisenhower administration and starting to address children's health care. Now, let me address just a couple of issues very quickly in specifics. With respect to disproportionate share for Medicaid, I want to thank the gentleman from South Carolina [Mr. Spratt] the chairman, the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Kasich], my colleague from Texas [Mr. Archer], and the administration for fixing that program, ensuring that States like mine of Texas and 12 other so-called high DISH States are treated more fairly under this bill than they were when the bill left the House of the other body. In addition, as the other gentleman from Maryland just spoke, we are finally addressing the needs of the academic medical centers, such as those in my district, by carving out and requiring the managed care companies to pay into medical education through medical education. This is a good compromise. I hope my colleagues will support it.”