Representatives Rush Holt (NJ-12), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09) and John Garamendi (CA-10) declare their dedication to preventing Republicans from ending Medicare:

Rep. Garamendi, who served as California's Insurance Commissioner for 8 years, expressed his concerns with their plan. "The Republican Party has said clearly that they want to do away with [Social Security and Medicare]. That's not where we are as Democrats."

Representative Doris Matsui explains her drive to close the "donut hole":

"When seniors are splitting pills and skipping meals to make ends meet, this system is not working. One of the surest ways to help us get back on track is to close the donut hole which affects millions of seniors every day."

Representatives Schakowsky and Garamendi relate the stories they have heard from seniors in their district:

Rep. Schakowsky: "A lot of people come in to my office every week and say, 'I can't wait until my 65th birthday so I can finally get the insurance and care that I need.'"

Rep. Garamendi heard similar stories in his district. "I had visited a carpenter who had become ill with cancer… He was bedridden, very very sick, he was about 60, no longer able to work. His wife was about the same age. He said 'I've just got to hang on long enough so that my wife can get on Medicare, because she's a diabetic.'"

Representative Dina Titus (NV-03) explains what health reform will mean for seniors in her district:

"Generations of Americas seniors have relied on Medicare in their golden years, and we must ensure that it's there for them in the future. We need health reform that strengthens Medicare. Rising health care costs threaten our health care system and we need to ensure that it remains solvent. It's because of my commitment to Nevada's seniors that I was proud to support the House health care reform bill."

Representative Holt describes how Republicans are using the same arguments against health care today that they used in their fight against Medicare in the 1960's:

"The debate we're having now strongly echoes the debate of the 1960s over Medicare. 'Inefficient and costly government,' 'putting the government between the doctor and the patient,' 'socialized medicine'. Yes, we've heard all of those phrases this year… Those are [also] quotes from the 1960s. Now few people today would call for a repeal of Medicare given its success for seniors, yet it was very controversial back then. The same arguments were made against health care reform then that are being made now."