Health Care And Our Nation's Seniors

Floor Speech

* Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Madam Speaker, as we consider health care reform, we have a responsibility to protect the best interests of our nation's seniors and ensure we do not harm the health care they already receive.

* Included in the current government takeover of health care are massive cuts to Medicare Advantage which will result in a loss of health care for millions of seniors.

* For seniors living on fixed incomes, the prospect of being forced to pay more for health care is truly frightening.

* But the Congressional Budget Office has reported the Democrat plan will increase seniors' Medicare prescription drug premiums by 20 percent over the next decade.

* Medicare finances are rapidly deteriorating and we should be working on real solutions which ensure the long-term financial stability of Medicare.

* Madam Speaker, a government-run health care system is not the answer to our health care problems, and it certainly is not the answer when it is paid for on the backs of our nation's seniors.

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