Medicare
Floor Speech
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Ms. FRANKEL of Florida. Thank you, Congressman.
In listening to your talk, I've been inspired to share this personal story of my mom. I told this story a few minutes ago, but it's worth repeating.
About 20 years ago, my mom had just reached Medicare age. She was a widow on a fixed income, and she was diagnosed with breast cancer. I had a young son at the time. He is grown now, but he was 13 years old. Our family was blessed as my mother had Medicare, and she was able to get the good health care that she needed, and she's still with me today. I didn't have to choose between helping my mother with her health care treatment or saving money to send my son to college.
That's the kind of choice Americans are going to have to make under this Republican budget, because the Republican budget doesn't make seniors healthier, it just shifts the burden.
My district is filled with people from all walks of life, from all different professions, whether they be teachers or nurses or accountants. They've worked hard their whole lives, and they've saved up their Medicare accounts and can live with the comfort now of knowing that, if they get sick or if they get injured, the health care that they've earned will be there for them. They will not be a burden on their children, and they will not take the savings that their children have for their grandkids' college educations and use it for their health care.
But it's not enough, Congressman Bera, for us just to say that the Republican budget is bad, because the fact of the matter is the American people and my constituents want answers. They want us to be problem solvers, not problem creators, and they want us to get something done. The Democratic budget gets something done. Just on this issue of health care for our seniors, we secure Medicare for this generation and for generations to come because we focus on what the problem is, and that has been the growing costs of health care.
In the Affordable Care Act, we tackle the problem directly. We reduce overpayments to health care insurance carriers. We look for efficiencies in the delivery of health care. We focus on prevention. We make health care more accessible to more people so that when they enter their Medicare ages, they're healthier. The Democratic budget has a solution, a solution to a challenge that all Americans recognize today.
Congressman Bera, I want to thank you for allowing me to spend some time to speak on behalf of not only my family, but so many of the families in my district in south Florida who depend on Medicare to live full lives.
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