Congresswoman Laura Richardson Rises to Recognize Women's Equality Day

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize August 26 as Women's Equality Day, which marks the date in 1920 that women earned the right to vote. Today, we celebrate women's equality in the United States after so many years of being treated as second-class citizens, denied the full rights and privileges of male citizens.

Mr. Speaker, voting rights are now an institutionalized right for all women. Any attempt to weaken or withdraw them would be met with universal public condemnation. Unfortunately, there are other historic advances for women which face an uncertain future. One of these is Medicare, which 1 in 5 women rely on for basic health insurance protection.

Since its enactment, Medicare has been a great equalizer for women's rights. By removing some of the burdens associated with being primary caregivers, Medicare freed women to pursue roles outside the home.

Unfortunately, even in retirement, women are more likely to be dependent on Medicare than men. It is a critical source of health insurance coverage for nearly all older women in the United States and for many younger women who have permanent disabilities. Nearly half, 49 percent, of women on Medicare have three or more chronic health conditions and 57 percent of women on the program live below the federal poverty level.

Mr. Speaker, Medicare is a social insurance program that provides health insurance coverage to all people who are aged 65 and over as well as those who are permanently disabled.

Like women's suffrage, Medicare endured a long and difficult battle to be signed into law since it was first called for by President Truman in 1946. It was introduced in Congress every session from 1952 to 1964 and was defeated each time. Finally passed as part of the Great Society initiative under President Lyndon B. Johnson, Medicare was signed into law in Independence, Missouri on July 30,1965.

Johnson chose Independence as a tribute to President Harry Truman's efforts to pass Medicare decades before and enrolled the former President as the first Medicare beneficiary. Medicare has four different parts: Hospital Coverage, Medical Insurance, Medicare Advantage Plans, and Prescription Drug Plans which help to cover the cost of inpatient care in hospitals, doctor's visits, hospital outpatient care, preventative services, and the cost of prescription drugs.

Since the beginning of the program, Medicare has had a profound impact on the health and well-being of older women. In 1964, only 51 percent of Americans 65 and older had health care coverage, nearly 30 percent of seniors lived below the poverty line and the average life expectancy of Americans was 70.2 years old.

Today, virtually all Americans 65 and older have health care coverage, only 8.9 percent of seniors live below the poverty line and the average life expectancy of Americans has increased to 78.2 years old. Additionally, Medicare provides affordable health care coverage to over 47 million Americans, including 39 million seniors and 8 million Americans under 65 with disabilities. Among the oldest Medicare beneficiaries, those 85 years and older--70 percent are women.

Mr. Speaker, Medicare is popular and strongly supported by the majority of American women, with 72 percent regarding Medicare as extremely important to their retirement security.

House Republicans ignore or pretend not to recognize the extraordinary success of Medicare. In fact, earlier this year House Republicans adopted a fiscal plan that ends Medicare as we know it and replaces it with a voucher program that requires seniors to purchase health care from private insurance companies with a voucher that is worth $6,200 less than they receive currently under Medicare. Of course, my friends across the aisle do not explain how seniors can be expected to be better off fending for themselves with less money in a profit-based system with higher administrative costs that discriminates against older persons and those with preexisting medical conditions.

Mr. Speaker, my Democratic colleagues and I believe that Medicare needs to be preserved and strengthened so that it may be available for future generations. Just as Medicare has been kept solvent for the last 46 years; we believe it can be strengthened and maintained for at least the next 46 years.

Because women constitute the majority of individuals on Medicare, the program is therefore critically important to preserving our health and well-being. In addition, because women, on average, are paid less, live longer and have more health care needs than men, Medicare plays a greater role toward preventing illness and destitution.

Therefore, in honor of Women's Equality Day, I rise to honor the brave and courageous women of past generations who fought for the right to vote and for equality. They deserve equal attention to their long-term health, and I intend to continue fighting to that end.