but it cannot. When we came into government, we inherited this $667 billion of debt. We are paying $1 billion a month in interest alone and, if we do not make changes, within 10 years that interest bill grows to $3 billion. So we are saying, fairly, squarely and honestly in this debate, that, if we can ask for a modest contribution, we can make Medicare sustainable.

We also put money into medical research—and we make no apology for that whatsoever. We are some of the best medical researchers in the world and we want to make sure that we can continue that work so that we can find the cures for tomorrow as well.