[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 166 (Monday, November 17, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S14960]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        REAL MEDICARE REFORM IS POSSIBLE WITHOUT OBSTRUCTIONISM

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, for 3 continuous days last week we 
focused on the obstructions imposed over the past year against 
President Bush's circuit court nominees by the Democratic minority in 
the Senate. The Senate obstructionism has claimed victims, and unless 
we break their holds, more highly qualified legal scholars will be lost 
due to their ongoing obstructionism.
  Obstructionism is not just for judges anymore. It has been used also 
against the Healthy Forests Act, a bill that was approved while the 
southern California fires raged on but was subjected to obstructionism 
by a minority when it was time to go to conference.
  Now our seniors are on the verge of receiving a new Medicare 
prescription drug benefit unless the Senate chooses to obstruct it. 
After 38 years of broken promises, a real Medicare drug benefit is 
right around the corner. Opponents claim that reforms in the Medicare 
conference are too great and the spending too little. I disagree. 
Seniors have waited too long and this bill does too much for it to be 
subjected to obstructionism.
  As I indicated a moment ago, after 38 years of broken promises our 
seniors will finally get a Medicare drug benefit unless the Senate 
obstructs it. After 38 years of delay, help can begin in as soon as 6 
months unless the Senate obstructs it.
  Looking at the second chart, this Medicare bill will provide 
unprecedented resources for seniors' prescription drug benefits, almost 
one and a half times what President Clinton proposed and a third more 
than Senate Democrats wanted just 2 years ago, and we will have all of 
this unless the Senate obstructs it.
  Looking at the third chart, the Medicare bill will cover nearly all 
prescription drug costs for low-income seniors--nearly all prescription 
drug costs for low-income seniors. This is a terrific deal for our low-
income elderly in America. We will have this unless the Senate 
obstructs it.
  This Medicare bill will cover nearly all catastrophic drug costs for 
seniors with high drug bills--nearly all catastrophic costs for seniors 
with high prescription drug bills. Let me say that again. This Medicare 
bill will cover 95 percent of catastrophic costs for seniors with high 
prescription drug bills. This is a good deal for America's seniors and 
we will have this unless the Senate obstructs it.
  The Medicare bill will give seniors unprecedented choices. All of 
these new choices in yellow on this chart are choices that are not 
available to seniors today. Senior will have all of these new choices, 
both the drug plan as well as comprehensive health plans with choices 
that Federal workers currently enjoy, unless the Senate obstructs it.
  The Medicare bill will use competition to stop waste and abuse and 
give seniors group purchasing power. A specialty cane that Medicare 
pays $44 for is purchased by the VA for $15. That waste of Medicare and 
retirees' money will stop unless the Senate obstructs it.
  This is a picture of that cane, for which Medicare currently 
overpays, that the VA can get for a mere $15. Medicare pays $44. All of 
this kind of waste will stop unless the Senate obstructs this bill.
  The Medicare bill will protect seniors by keeping the drug benefits 
both available and voluntary. Let me just say that again. This Medicare 
bill will keep seniors' drug benefits both voluntary and available. 
Retirees can keep what they have or get help to maintain their 
employer-based plans, can get a drug benefit through traditional 
Medicare, will get new choices in improved Medicare, will be protected 
by a Government backup plan and substantial resources to make sure the 
choices are really there, not just on paper but choices that are really 
there. Seniors get all of this protection unless the Senate obstructs 
it.
  This Medicare bill will protect Medicare for tomorrow's seniors by 
controlling costs and preserving the system. While the bill provides an 
unprecedented amount of resources--again, almost one and a half times 
what President Clinton proposed and a third more than Senate Democrats 
wanted just 2 years ago--the bill requires that costs be monitored to 
control spending in excess of $400 billion. The bill adds competitive 
forces to drive down costs, reward efficiency, eliminate waste and 
abuse, and weed out fraud so that Medicare will be preserved for our 
children. All of this will happen unless the Senate obstructs this 
measure.
  Finally, looking at chart 9, the Medicare bill provides real 
resources, real benefits, real health, real choice, real protections, 
real competition, and real cost control. All of those items are in this 
measure, and we will have a chance to approve it later this week.
  After 38 years, seniors will finally get a good prescription drug 
benefit unless the Senate obstructs it. I think it is the poorest and 
frailest seniors who will suffer enormously from more obstructionism 
this time against this Medicare prescription drug bill.
  So that is where we are. This is a great new plan that will be before 
the Senate later this week, an opportunity to really help seniors with 
prescription drugs for the first time, after years of conversation. Let 
us not miss that opportunity.
  I yield the floor.

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