Perot, Clinton Differ on GOP Medicare Plan
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WASHINGTON — President Clinton threatened a veto Friday of a GOP plan to trim $270 billion from Medicare, but Republicans won a blessing from Texas billionaire Ross Perot.
At the White House, Clinton called for compromise on Medicare, the health care program for the elderly, which requires changes to stay solvent.
At the same time, he said of the GOP plan: “This is not what it takes to save Medicare. . . . If these health care cuts come to my desk, of this size, I would have no choice but to veto it.”
Perot saw it differently. Sharing a Chamber of Commerce stage with House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), architect of the House GOP plan, Perot said that “it takes a lot of courage to touch this alligator.”
Republicans say their proposal to save $270 billion in seven years is necessary to head off insolvency for the program.
Democrats contend the measure is merely a GOP attempt to find money needed to finance tax cuts for the wealthy.
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