Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. letter to G. W. M., August 16, 1996

ROBERT L. EHRLICH. JR. GOVERNMENT REFORM Congress of tljc (Unitrb States J;ousc of Rcprrstntiitibts ©Hasfimgton. <D(C 20515-2002 August 16, 1996 l 255-6983 Thank you for giving me the opportunity to respond to the document criticizing my record on Medicare, Medicaid, and veterans issues. The document which you forwarded to me fundamentally misrepresents my voting record. Its purpose is not to inform, but rather to confuse and alarm the seniors and veterans of the Second Congressional District. Allow me to set the record straight: ♦ Medicare: The document alleged that I “voted to cut Medicare by $270 billion” to pay for a tax cut for “the rich.” This is an outright lie. The Medicare reform proposal which I supported raises overall Medicare spending from $177.4 billion in 1995 to $294.3 billion in 2002— an increase of $1 16.9 billion over seven years. Per beneficiary Medicare spending increases by 49 percent— from $4800 in 1995 to nearly $7200 in 2002— under the House passed plan. Quite simply, there are no Medicare “cuts” under the House plan. In fact, Medicare spending continues to increase at a rate previously called for by the Clinton Administration. This summer the Medicare Board of Trustees, a presidentially-appointed panel which includes three Clinton cabinet members, predicted that the Medicare Hospital Insurance Trust Fund (also known as Medicare Part A), will be bankrupt in 2001— one year earlier than originally predicted. The House plan will preserve and strengthen Medicare’s fiscal status well into the next century. Those who criticize this bipartisan plan may not appreciate the gravity of the situation or complexity of the plan.