[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 137 (Thursday, October 17, 2002)]
[House]
[Page H8027]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    PASS PRESCRIPTION DRUG COVERAGE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Culberson). Under a previous order of 
the House, the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Fletcher) is recognized for 
5 minutes.
  Mr. FLETCHER. Mr. Speaker, as we have passed a continuing resolution 
to take us until at least November 22, I would like to talk about some 
unfinished business, as we have passed legislation over to the Senate 
and the Senate has yet to act upon that legislation. One of the 
important pieces of legislation that they have not acted upon is the 
prescription drug plan.
  We worked very hard, our leadership, the Republican leadership, 
worked very hard to pass a prescription drug plan that would lower the 
cost of prescription drugs immediately. It would devote about $350 
billion to prescription drug coverage as well as enhancing Medicare and 
ensuring that providers would continue to be accessible to patients. It 
also was a voluntary coverage.
  It also guaranteed choice, that seniors would have at least two 
plans; and, again, it was a guaranteed benefit under Medicare. It would 
provide immediate savings, and the Congressional Budget Office 
estimated that the savings would be up to 44 percent for seniors.
  I know in my State of Kentucky we have about 50 percent of the 
seniors would have fallen within the range of 175 percent of the 
poverty level or below, which means that about half of our seniors in 
Kentucky would have received supplemental help on their premiums, which 
means that those at 150 percent of the poverty level and below would 
have virtually paid no out-of-pocket expenses for their prescription 
drugs. These are the people that are having to decide between food and 
their prescription drugs, and it would have been a tremendous help to 
them.
  Yet, as we passed the plan over, the Senate has not acted on the 
prescription drug plan. Let me say this, it is very unfortunate as we 
have passed here the resolution to make sure we continue to deal with 
the war on terrorism, we have passed a number of other pieces of 
legislation dealing with the economy, with health care, with energy 
policy, that we find out on many of those issues and bills that we have 
passed over, the Senate has not acted upon those bills. Let me just say 
this, the Democrat leadership, as we have seen and I believe, are 
playing politics as we approach an election here and have left the 
seniors without the prescription drug coverage that they need.
  I am very pleased, Mr. Speaker, that we worked very hard to make sure 
that the bill for prescription drugs was a very balanced bill, a very 
reasonable bill, and a very doable bill. And as we passed that over to 
the Senate, again, they have not acted on that bill.
  I would hope as we come back after the November 5 elections that this 
very important issue would be taken up, that we would be able to 
provide our seniors across America with the prescription drug bill that 
would provide the care that is needed. Again, I think it is very 
important as we look at how medicine has changed over the last number 
of years, going from acute care to just treating disease, to prevention 
and chronic disease management, the need for prescription drugs grows 
continually. As we have more and new and better prescription treatments 
for patients to prevent disease and to manage chronic diseases, I think 
it is only equitable and fair that we include those in a modern 
Medicare program.
  Mr. Speaker, once again, as we close out until after the election, at 
the call of the Speaker, I find it very disappointing that the 
Democrats have not, through their leadership, taken up the prescription 
drug plan that we have passed here and passed that to provide coverage 
for the American people. Instead, they have put politics above the 
American people.

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