Senate Proceeding on Nov 5th, 2009 :: 1:59:45 to 2:13:30
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1:59:39 to 2:00:01( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: tell, with an opportunity to vote for $429 billion in medicare cuts and $0 billion plus in new taxes at the same time. it's very rare that any senator has a chance to vote for medicare cuts that big and new taxes that big all at once. it's not an opportunity that

1:59:45 to 2:13:30( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Lamar Alexander

2:00:02 to 2:00:24( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: many, if any, republicans will -- will -- will take advantage of, but that is the proposal that's coming. it's caused my colleague from tennsee, senator corker, to say yesterday on the senate floor that if republicans were to propose the same thing, thg, $429 billion in medicare

2:00:25 to 2:00:45( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: cuts, a 60% increase in premium costs, which is the estimated increase to tennessean s who have insurance premiums according to senator corker, plus taxes of $900 billion when fully implemented wouldn't get a single democratic vote. and i think senator corker is probably right about that.

2:00:46 to 2:01:07( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: but this -- whenever we say this, this brings deep concern from the other side of the aisle. the senator from ohio came down on the floor and engaged in a colloquy with the assistant democratic leader yesterday after i left the floor and said imagine this: the republican senator from tennessee is coming down and saying that democrats

2:01:08 to 2:01:28( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: are about why would they say that? the words are -- it really makes me incredulous, said the senator from ohio, to hear the republicans say the democrats are going to cut medicare and that we're going to use medicare cuts to pay for health care reform. th only reason we and everyone else who reads the democratic

2:01:29 to 2:01:49( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: health care bill is saying that is because it's true. i mean, the proposal is to cut grandma's medicare and spend it on a new program. that's the proposal, to cut cut $429 billion, nearly half a trillion dollars in medicare spending and not spending it to

2:01:50 to 2:02:10( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: make medicare solvent. and we know the medicare trustees have said that the program is going to begin to go broke in 2015-2017. we're going to spend it on a new government program in which many americans who now have employee-based -- employer-based insurance will find their way. now, it's not republicans who

2:02:11 to 2:02:31( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: are scaring seniors about medicare mr. president. it is the democratic health care bills about medicare cuts, and they have a right to be concerned. so just in case anyone who might be listening thinks that we're making this up on the republican side of the aisle, i brought with me a few articles from

2:02:32 to 2:02:52( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: reputable sources which describe the democratic health care proposals and their proposed medicare cuts. here's "thnew york times" on september 24, an article about -- by robert peare, who writes about this subject regularly. it says -- "to help offset the

2:02:53 to 2:03:14( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: cost of covering the uninsured, the senate and house bills would squeeze roughly $400 billion to to $500 billion out of the projected growth in medicare over ten years." unquote. that's "the new york times," mr. president.

2:03:15 to 2:03:37( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: or san francisco gate.com. this is an associated press article on september 22. quoting -- "the congress chief budget officer on tuesday contradicted president obama's oft-stated claim that seniors wouldn't see their medicare benefits cut under a health care overhaul.

2:03:38 to 2:03:59( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: the head -- continuing the quote from the associated press -- the head of the nonpartisan congressional budget office told senators that seniors managed care plans could see reduced benefits under a bill in the finance committee. the bill would cut payments to medicare advantage plans by more

2:04:00 to 2:04:20( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: than $100 billion over ten years." elmandorf said the changes would reduce the benefits available to beneficiaries under medicare advantage plans, unquote. then there is the congressional budget office. who in its letter has talked about in detail the proposed

2:04:21 to 2:04:41( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: medicare cuts. then there is an associated press article on july 30, 2009." democrats are pushing for medicaid-medicare cuts on a scale not seen in years to underwrite a health care for all. many seniors now covered under the program don't like that one bit." that's not the republican national committee, mr. president.

2:04:42 to 2:05:02( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: that's the associated press reporting what the bills say. "the house bill, the congressional proposal that is advanced the most, would reduce projected increases in medicare payments to providers by more than $500 billion over ten

2:05:03 to 2:05:23( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: years, a gross cut of about 7% over the period. but the legislation will also plow back nearly $300 billion back into the program, mainly to sweeten payments for doctors. this still leaves a net cut of more than $200 billion," says the associated press, describing the democratic health care plan, "which will be used to offset new federal subsidies for

2:05:24 to 2:05:46( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: workers and their families now lacking health insurance." in other words, we're going to take money from medicare and spend it on someone else. the senator from kansas said the other day it's like writing a check on an overdrawn bank account to buy a big new car. that's a pretty good description. just a couple more. the los angeles times.

2:05:47 to 2:06:07( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: this is not a republican publication -- says, headline on -- let's see the date here. june 14. "president obama to outline outline $313 billion in medicare-medicaid spending cuts." now, that's what democratic senators have always called such proposals. that's what the los angeles times calls the proposals.

2:06:08 to 2:06:28( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: that's what we're calling the proposals because that's what they are. it says "reporting from washington underressure to pay for his ambitious reshaping of the nation's health care system, president obama today will outline $313 billion in medicare and medicaid spending cuts over the next decade to help cover the costs of expanding coverage

2:06:29 to 2:06:49( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: to tens of millions of americans insured." and another article from -- well, it's an npr report. "over the next says," the committee would cut cut $117 million from medicare advantage plans."

2:06:50 to 2:07:10( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: article from the "washington post" on october 23, october 23, $500 billion in cuts to medicare over the next decade." that's from the "washington post." "the wall street journal," september 8 -- "sources of funding for the finance

2:07:11 to 2:07:31( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: committee plan include cuts to medicare." so, mr. president, the question is not whether there are cuts to medicare. that's what the proposal is. now, maybe it's a good idea, maybe it's a bad idea, but we don't need to be coming onto the floor and saying t that is is not.

2:07:32 to 2:07:53( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: and the proposal is in these large, expansive health care plans, the 2,000-page bill coming from the house soon, is it's basically about half finance about cuts in medicare. not to make the program solvent, a program which has $37 billion in unfunded liabilities over the

2:07:54 to 2:08:14( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: next 75 years, but to spend on a new government program. those are the facts. those -- that is why it's important that the american pele have an opportunity to read the bill and know what it costs and know how i affects them. the republican leader and senator johanns has talked about the taxes in the bill. i said that a little earlier. rarely does a senator have an

2:08:15 to 2:08:35( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: opportunity to vote on so many medicare cuts and so many new taxes, as we apparently will have when this comes to us. but the taxes include a tax individuals who don't buy government-approved health insurance. the joint committee on taxation -- that's ouroint committee -- and the congressional budget office

2:08:36 to 2:08:56( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: estimate that at least 71% of the penalty, that penalty, that than $250,000. so it's not just taxes people. when you impose, as the senate finance committee bill would, would, $900 billion plus when fully implemented on a whole

2:08:57 to 2:09:18( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: variety of people, businesses who provide health care, what do they do? well, according to the director of the congressional budget office, most passed on to the consumers. who are the consumers? the people who are paying health

2:09:19 to 2:09:40( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: care premiums, 250 million americans. and what does that mean? that would mean that instead of reducing the cost of your health care premium, we're more likely to increase the costs of your health care premium. so i would ask why are we passing a health care reform bill that increases the cost of your health care premium, that raises your taxes? and cutting medicare to help pay

2:09:41 to 2:10:01( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: for that. they increase taxes on health care providers, manufacturers, and importers of brand name drugs, medical device manufacturers. these will all be passed on to consumers, according to the joint committee on taxation. raising the threshold for deducting catastrophic medical expenses, 87% of the five

2:10:02 to 2:10:23( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: million taxyers who claim this deduction earn under $100,000 a year. these aren't millionaires, mr. president. these people earn less than than $100,000 a year. in fact, data from the joint committee on taxation and the congressional budget office show former director of the congressional budget office,

2:10:24 to 2:10:44( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: doug has holtz aiken, show that by will be earning less than $200,000 a year. the 2,000-page proposal from the house ofepresentatives -- thank would raise taxes by by $729 million.

2:10:45 to 2:11:05( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: there is a tax on millionaires, but we know what happens to that when it's not indexed. 40 years ago, we were worried about 155 high-income americans who were avoiding taxes so the congress passed the millionaires ' tax on the alternative minimum tax. today we hadn't patched it as we say in 2009, hadn't changed it,

2:11:06 to 2:11:29( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: that mlionaires' tax would have raised taxes on 28.3 americans. so the millionaires' tax one day will get you if you keep earning money. mr. prident, i've said quite a bit about medicare cuts and taxes, but i want to conclude my marks by quickly saying what we think should be done. we believe that the american

2:11:30 to 2:11:50( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: people do not 2,000-page bill heade we want instead to start over in the right direction, which means reducing costs and step by step reearn -- the american people by reducing

2:11:51 to 2:12:11( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: the cost of health care. specifically, we would start with the small business health care plans. that's just that would lower premiums according to the congressional budget office. it would cover up to a million new small business employees. it would reduce medicaid. then we could take a step to permit more -- encourage

2:12:12 to 2:12:33( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: competition by allowing people to buy across state lines, take measures to stop junk lawsuits against doctors. more information technology, that could be a bipartisan proposal. more exchanges. you notice the nber of pages are very small. people could actually read these bills, understand them. they wouldn't add to our cost. waste, fraud, and

2:12:34 to 2:12:54( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: agree is out of control. it's one out of ten dollars in me so our proposal, mr. president, would offer a choice. a couple of hundred pages, not 2000. reducing premiums, reducing debt, making medicare solvent instead of cutting it, no tax increases instead of higher taxes, and reducing costs.

2:12:55 to 2:13:18( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: that's the kind of health plan republicans have offered. that's the kind we believe americans would want, and we hope over time that will earn bipartisan support. i thank the president and i

2:13:19 to 2:13:30( Edit History Discussion )

Lamar Alexander: yield the floor. ms. mikulski: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from maryland. ms. mikulski: mr. president, how much time is remaining sides for morning business? the presiding officer: the majority has 2 1/2 minutes of