[Page H6918]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               WE NEED TO GET TO WORK ON SAVING MEDICARE

  (Mrs. SEASTRAND asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. SEASTRAND. Mr. Speaker, a few weeks ago Members on the other 
side of the aisle demonstrated their unhappiness with this House ending 
business early in the day. Yet on Monday of this week the very first 
thing the Democrats wanted to do after a 9-day break for the 
Independence Day recess was to adjourn the House.
  We did not need a recess after 9 days off. We did not need to adjourn 
the day after a vacation. What we need to do is roll up our sleeves and 
work on preserving, protecting, and strengthening Medicare.
  And now that very famous Democrat liquor store memo that said 
participants should encourage individuals to, quote, think that the GOP 
wants to cut Medicare, not to make it more efficient, but to hurt the 
elderly, end quote. The memo then states that, quote, we need to 
exploit this, end quote. Mr. Speaker, we do not need to exploit 
Medicare. We need to save it.
  At the end of this month Medicare will celebrate its 30th 
anniversary, and the new majority of this House wants Medicare to be 
around for the next 30 years. While we are trying to strengthen, 
protect, and preserve Medicare, some just want to go home.


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