Mother's Day

Floor Speech

Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate Mothers' Day and to thank our nation's mothers, grandmothers, and aunts, as well as all the women who mentor and nurture future generations. On this holiday, I thank these incredible women by recommitting myself to the effort to preserve Medicare and to protect their health and wellbeing.

My mother was a true inspiration to me, and she taught me the importance of a solid work ethic and compassion for others in the community. She took on the challenge of raising two children by herself, which meant work during the day and school at night. Life certainly was not easy for her, but she always provided for my family and is one of the strongest women I have ever known.

Today, many families in my district and across the country are also coping with limited resources while demonstrating the same determination and compassion that my mother instilled in me. Many are seniors who cannot afford the exorbitant cost of treatments for chronic medical conditions and preventative care. Medicare program is a vital lifeline for so many and should be protected at all costs.

The proposed Republican plan to end Medicare as we know it would distribute vouchers for beneficiaries to purchase health insurance. Under the plan, the voucher would not grow as fast as health care costs, shifting the burden of the costs onto seniors. It would repeal the free preventive services benefit in Medicare, increasing seniors' out-of-pocket costs for preventive care by over $110 million in 2012 alone.

The Republican plan would have a particularly damaging effect on women, who, on average, live longer than men, have lower incomes than men, and have more chronic health conditions than men--making Medicare even more vital to their wellbeing. 57 percent of women on Medicare live below 200 percent of the federal poverty line, compared to 45 percent of men. Additionally, 49 percent of women on Medicare have three or more chronic health conditions, compared to 38 percent of men.

As a representative of the 37th Congressional District of California, this issue is of particular importance to me. In California alone, there are nearly 2.7 million female Medicare beneficiaries, more than any other state in the country.
Mr. Speaker, I stand in solidarity with these women--America's mothers and grandmothers--as I reaffirm my support of the Medicare program. I will not support legislation that balances our budget on the backs of our nation's most vulnerable citizens, and I encourage my colleagues to join me in this critical fight.

Mr. Speaker, I wish a happy Mothers' Day to all the mothers of the 37th district and across the country.

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