[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 86 (Friday, June 30, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1162]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          MEDICARE RX 2000 ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. MARK UDALL

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 28, 2000

  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 
4680, The Medicare Rx 2000 Act. Today, instead of helping seniors with 
their prescription drug bills, the Republicans sold seniors a bill of 
goods. Their bill is a multi-billion dollar giveaway to insurance 
companies and fails to guarantee that seniors will be able to afford 
the medicines their doctors tell them they need to take to stay 
healthy.
  For the past year, seniors in my district have been telling me about 
how much they spend on their monthly prescription bills. I released a 
study in April 1999 which shows that seniors in my district who have no 
prescription drug coverage pay twice as much as those who have 
coverage. Some seniors are faced with the decision of paying for food 
or paying for medicine. This is an outrage. No senior should be faced 
with that kind of decision.
  On the other hand, the Republican leadership in the House recently 
became interested in this issue because their pollster told them that 
they needed to pass a drug plan--any plan--no matter how flawed it is. 
And they won't let the Democrats offer a substitute plan on the floor 
because they know it is a good plan and could pass.
  We need a Medicare prescription drug benefit that is voluntary, that 
provides coverage to all seniors who need it, and that secures the 
financial future of Medicare. I will continue to work for a plan that 
helps seniors fill their cabinets with life-saving medications, not one 
that lines the pockets of the drug companies.

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