[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 90 (Monday, July 8, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1199]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page E1199]]



        MEDICARE MODERNIZATION AND PRESCRIPTION DRUG ACT OF 2002

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. DARRELL E. ISSA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 27, 2002

  Mr. ISSA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend Chairman Thomas, 
Chairman Tauzin, and the House Republican leadership for their work on 
H.R. 4954, a bill which attempts to balance the needs of two national 
objectives: ensuring that all Americans have access to affordable 
prescription drugs and exercising fiscal responsibility.
  No American should be denied needed prescription drugs because he or 
she cannot afford them. This bill, if adopted, will ensure that low 
income seniors, who cannot afford them will receive the prescription 
drugs they need.
  H.R. 4954 takes a new approach to providing Medicare beneficiaries 
with prescription drugs and improves the mechanisms for paying 
healthcare providers, Under this approach, the federal government will 
pay some of the costs and private insurance plans will be expected to 
pick up the tab for others. This setup will encourage participants to 
seek out cost effective ways of addressing potential health problems 
through preventive measures and competitive bidding. Rival proposals 
that do not include the participation of the private sector choke out 
the innovation of competition and often lead to price gouging.
  According to Congressional Budget Office estimates, H.R. 4954 should 
fit within the framework of the budget resolution this House agreed to 
this year. The Democratic alternative to H.R. 4954 would burst the 
seams of the budget resolution and is in no way a fiscally responsible 
plan. Nonetheless, I harbor ominous concerns about the wisdom of 
spending $350 billion on a new entitlement program at a time when we 
are already running a deficit. Although I have not seen any specific 
plan that takes a better approach to helping needy Americans obtain 
prescription drug benefits, I hesitate in lending my support to H.R. 
4954 because I believe that a more thoughtful process might result in a 
better and more fiscally responsible proposal than any this body is 
scheduled to consider today.
  Mr. Speaker, in our lifetimes we have seen too many government 
programs expand to the detriment of our nation. The actual cost of 
entitlement programs has sometimes doubled, tripled, and even 
quadrupled that of the original estimate. The authors of this bill have 
taken many precautions to preserve the private medical insurance system 
and have attempted to limit government aid to Americans who actually 
need assistance. My greatest concern about this bill, however, is that 
it may lure Americans who can afford prescription drugs away from 
private plans and into the black hole of dependency on the taxpayers. 
If this Congress adopts this bill we must all remain vigilant and turn 
away from all temptations to morph this entitlement program into a 
monster that will take a trillion dollar bite out of the general 
revenues.
  This Congress will be credited or held responsible for the results of 
this initiative for many years to come. I, nevertheless, recognize that 
our nation's seniors are in need and know that we must respond. H.R. 
4954 is the best prescription drug benefit plan before us and I support 
its passage.

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