Orrin Hatch: “I do not think it is a Republican approach. It is a pro-American approach. Right now, I do not know of anybody who does…”

“I do not think it is a Republican approach. It is a pro-American approach. Right now, I do not know of anybody who does not agree that Medicare is in serious financial condition and faces bankruptcy early in the next century. As of next year it starts to go broke. By the year 2002 it will be broke, and 37 million Americans will be the losers. I do not know why we have to make this so partisan because I have to say the Democrats have basically been virtually in control of Congress for all of the last 40 years, every year that Medicare has been in existence. And here we are today with Medicare's financial crisis. Now, rather than complaining about efforts to try to save it, it seems to me they ought to pitch in and help us. The fact is, if we do nothing but throw authorized dollars that are not there, it is not going to solve the underlining problem. And under the approach that the House Members are taking, Medicare is going to increase 6.4 percent each year. Not only increase 6.4 percent, but the average payment under Medicare is currently $4,800 a year per senior and that will increase to $6,700 by the year 2002. Clearly, nobody is cutting Medicare.”