Preventing Paygo Sequestration

Floor Speech

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Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, 55 years ago, President Lyndon B. Johnson overcame sustained Republican opposition to enact Medicare. It has been a literal lifeline for millions. Those who suffered without healthcare before Medicare now have access to a family physician and hospital care when they need it.

Former Republican Speaker Newt Gingrich, in this very room, plotted to let Medicare wither on the vine. Millions of Americans would have withered had he been successful. Yet, generations of Republicans have sought to privatize it, cut it, or weaken it. Surely, some of the strongest evidence of the success of Medicare, through all of these times, is the claim by today's Republicans that after so many failed attempts to weaken Medicare, they are here, quite amazingly, claiming to be its new protectors.

Of course, this comes following their understandable desperation to justify their inexplicable efforts to deny the relief that was offered by the American Rescue Plan: the survivor benefits; the unemployment; the small business and rental assistance so vitally needed; the support for getting our students back in school, the funding to keep State and local employees doing their jobs. Republicans have resisted that rescue plan with the same fervor that they resisted Medicare in the first place. So determined are these folks to oppose anything that President Biden advances, they have come out here and claimed that the rescue plan means Medicare cuts, which certainly it does not.

Most of Medicare falls within the jurisdiction of the Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, which I chair. We do need to strengthen Medicare. The latest financial report suggests that additional revenues will be needed to sustain Medicare beginning in 2026. Some of the changes that are needed are largely accounting adjustments, and others will require additional revenue.

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Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, what our colleagues should be doing is coming together to work with us to ensure the permanent security of Medicare.

Medicare works, but after 55 years, it needs some updates. It has not provided adequate protection against pharmaceutical price gouging; it does not cover most of dental, hearing, and vision care; and, of course, too many Americans are just too young to benefit from Medicare.

I believe we need to be working together to make Medicare better and more widely available to more Americans, because health security is American security.

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