Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. GARAMENDI. Mr. Chairman, it's often said that the facts are lost in the fog of war. The facts are lost in the fog of this debate. We should step back for just a few moments and see what this total picture is all about. This is nothing about a class war assault on the working men and women and the poor in this country, and literally around the world.

Take a look at all of the provisions and add them all up. The decimation of clinics that provide care to the poor and the unemployed. The decimation and the significant reduction of Medicaid, providing care to those who do not have high incomes, including the elderly and the disabled. The decimation now in this of the health care proposals, turning over to the insurance companies once again the opportunity to go after working men and women and deny them the coverage that they need.

Taken in total, and include the tax provisions for the great wealthy who will ultimately have their tax breaks paid for by the working men and women, put it all together, and this is class warfare by the Republicans against the working men and women of this Nation.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. GARAMENDI. Madam Chair, the issue before us is whether the IRS should be able to enforce the laws, in this case the health care laws. During the first decade of the 2000 period, there was enormous Medicare fraud going on. In the health care bill, additional agents were added to the IRS and other agencies to enforce the Medicare laws against fraud. This provision would defund that and make it impossible to enforce the laws and prevent Medicare fraud. A very bad idea.

I urge a ``no'' vote on the amendment.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source