45th Anniversary of Medicare; Celebrating Independence Day

45th Anniversary of Medicare
Today marks the 45th anniversary of the launching of Medicare, one of Democrats’ proudest achievements. Over the last 45 years, Medicare has transformed what it means to be old in this country. It has succeeded in providing health care security for America’s seniors.

Key Facts:

• Before Medicare: In 1964, only 51 percent of Americans 65 and older had health care coverage.
• After Medicare: Today, virtually all Americans 65 and older have health care coverage.
• Before Medicare: In 1964, nearly 30 percent of seniors lived below the poverty line.
• After Medicare: Today, 7.5 percent of seniors live below the poverty line.
  

Today, Medicare provides comprehensive health care coverage to 47 million Americans, including:

• 39 million seniors; and
• 8 million people under age 65 with disabilities.

I recently visited San Francisco’s Institute on Aging’s new facility in the Inner Richmond to meet directly with seniors to discuss the damaging consequences the Republican budget would have on our community and to assure them that my Democratic colleagues and I are dedicated to preserving and strengthening Medicare for future generations. Just as Medicare has been kept solvent for the last 45 years, it can be kept solvent for the next 45 years.

Securing our Coasts and Saving Lives
On Tuesday, I was proud to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony commemorating the Coast Guard’s new Interagency Operations Center (IOC), located on Yerba Buena Island. This facility is designed to integrate the Coast Guard’s control centers, as well as other federal, state and local maritime stakeholders from the Bay Area.

Congresswoman Pelosi attends a ribbon cutting ceremony at the U.S. Coast Guard’s new Interagency Operations Center on Yerba Buena Island

California has a long history with the Coast Guard, which was in fact the first manifestation of the U.S. Government on the West Coast. Yerba Buena and Treasure Island, have long served our nation as a critical center for our military, receiving, training, and deploying members of our military. And when the bases closed here, our city’s leaders recognized the potential for this area to remain a vital part of our region’s success and future and our security.

I’m proud to have supported legislation in Congress, the Safe Port Act, which helped secure the federal investments that made this new facility possible. You may know, the Coast Guard’s motto, Semper Paratus, means always ready. San Francisco’s new IOC will help our first responders be ready to plan, to respond, and to keep the American people safe.

Celebrating Independence Day
I would like to wish all of my San Francisco neighbors a happy Fourth of July! Independence Day is a time for all Americans to come together and remember our country’s history as a land of freedom and a beacon of hope to the world. Best wishes to you, your family, and your friends as you celebrate our nation’s Independence Day this weekend.

Please feel free to forward this information to your family and friends. To learn more about these efforts, to express your views, or to sign up for email updates, please visit my Web site. I am now on Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/NancyPelosi.