Subject: Gephardt Blames Medicare Problems On Republicans

On the eve of an expected Medicare Trustees report that will show that the system has major financial problems, House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt (D-Mo.) blamed the shortfall on congressional Republicans' inflexibility.

Gephardt also tried to dispel rumors of division between Capitol Hill Democrats and President Bill Clinton, over budget negotiations.

During his weekly Thursday morning briefing, Gephardt said, "The real tragedy here is that over the last two years because of the intransigence of the Republicans we didn't really have a budget, we didn't do anything with Medicare, so those numbers are not as good as they could have been."

Gephardt expressed frustration with the ongoing budget negotiating process, despite rosier barometer readings on Thursday from White House and Republican leaders. "Frankly we're all disappointed that its not gone very far -- that there are still large differences between us and I guess an expression of frustration, as I'm trying to do here, is that the Republicans won't bring out a budget," Gephardt said.

"It is only their insistence on tax cuts for the wealthy, to be funded by Medicare cuts or changes in the CPI, that we don't have a budget," Gephardt continued.

House Democrats, during a meeting with Clinton on Wednesday, told the president that he must stick to his principles: improving education, getting healthcare for kids, tax cuts for those who truly need them and not hurting Medicare recipients by raising premiums. They also urged Clinton to try to force Republicans to produce their own budget plan.

Responding to a question regarding Republicans trying to blame him for the budget stalemate, Gephardt said, "the Republicans control the Congress. The Republicans have an obligation, their responsibility in that position of controlling the majority to bring out and produce a budget. They haven't done it. They are woefully late."

"Rather than blaming someone for their inadequacies, they ought to be bringing the budget out," he added. "If they can't bring out a budget, at least bring out the president's budget and let the Congress amend it and work its will."

Earlier this week, House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-Texas) said that the GOP will likely offer their own budget numbers if a budget settlement is not reached by the second week in May. He has consistently said this for months.

Despite reports of division between Clinton and congressional Democrats, Gephardt said, "I am confident that the president has strong beliefs about the budget and he's not going to back up on those beliefs. He has said many times that he wants a majority of Democrats in the House and Senate to vote for the budget that would be agreed to and I believe that's what he wants to do. I also believe that he wants to stick with his principles."

Gephardt reiterated that "the president's budget is a good budget. The president's budget would get a majority of Democrats in the House and in the Senate."

What he did not say is that some Democrats have confided on background that they are leary that White House negotiators are going to bow to Republican pressure and overlook some of their basic principles.

"If the president can get an agreement with the Republicans that is fair and reasonable and honest and it does not violate, as I'm sure it would not, his principles and our principles and beliefs, he ought to do that," Gephardt said.