Health Care Reform

Floor Speech

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, Senator Reid contacted me earlier today and said he was unable to be here for the opening of the session, and I told him I would be here to open.

I would like to say, briefly, in response to the comments that have been made by the minority leader, Senator McConnell, who continues to raise the question about the future of Medicare, that I hope the Senator is sensitive to the fact that this last week, on December 3, we voted 100 to 0 for the amendment offered by Senator Bennet of Colorado, which said nothing in the amendments to this act shall result in the reduction of guaranteed benefits under the Social Security Act provisions related to Medicare; and we went on to say any savings would be used to extend the solvency of the Medicare trust fund, reduce Medicare premiums and other cost sharing for benefits and improve or expand guaranteed Medicare benefits and protect access to Medicare providers.

We voted 100 to 0, in a bipartisan fashion, to make certain we protect the Medicare Program. That is the way it should be, and that is the way the Senate voted.

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