[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 71 (Wednesday, May 19, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5794-S5795]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                IN RECOGNITION OF OLDER AMERICANS MONTH

  Mr. SARBANES. Mr. President, in 1963, President Kennedy began an 
important tradition of designating a time for our country to honor our 
older citizens for their many accomplishments and contributions to our 
Nation. I rise today to continue that tradition and recognize May as 
``Older Americans Month.'' Those of us who have worked diligently in 
the U.S. Senate to ensure that older Americans are able to live in 
dignity and independence during their later years welcome this 
opportunity to pause and reflect on the contributions of those 
individuals who have played such a major role in shaping our great 
Nation. We honor them for their hard work and the countless sacrifices 
they have made throughout their lifetimes, and look forward to their 
continued contributions to our country's welfare.
  In line with the theme of this year's Older Americans Month, ``Aging 
Well, Living Well,'' I want to take this opportunity to highlight the 
importance of quality and comprehensive health care for our seniors. 
They deserve nothing less. I have significant concerns about what the 
future holds in this regard. I voted against the Medicare Prescription 
Drug and Modernization Act of 2003, which is currently being phased in, 
because I believed it would jeopardize promises we as a Nation have 
made to seniors. Many of the concerns that I shared with a number

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of my colleagues at that time and during the Senate's consideration of 
this measure are unfortunately now coming to fruition.
  One of my principal concerns is that the new law will fail to provide 
a comprehensive, consistent and affordable prescription drug benefit to 
Medicare beneficiaries. And now as we look at the uncertainty of 
monthly premiums and incomplete coverage for drug costs under the new 
law, it is increasingly clear that corporate interests won out over the 
interests of the elderly. Indeed, at least 2.7 million retirees are 
expected to lose their existing retiree prescription drug benefits--
which are of higher quality--and will instead have to use the Medicare 
drug benefit.
  Moreover, I continue to be deeply concerned that existing Medicare 
beneficiaries will be forced into managed care organizations in order 
to receive substantial prescription drug benefits. Because of the 
recent history with Medicare+Choice plans, it has been suggested that 
requiring seniors to rely on the private market for coverage represents 
a significant threat to the very existence of Medicare as we have known 
it for the last 40 years.
  On top of all of this, the Medicare trustees have predicted 
exhaustion of the Medicare Trust Fund 7 years earlier than previously 
predicted. With the rising costs of drugs and health care in general, 
and the implicit lack of means to reduce drug costs in the new law, we 
will be faced with hard decisions sooner than originally anticipated. 
Hopefully, the answer will not be to seek to decrease benefits.
  To address these concerns, I am in favor of proposals to provide 
Medicare beneficiaries with full prescription drug coverage. In fact, a 
number of my colleagues and I supported legislation during the Senate's 
consideration of the Medicare overhaul that would have controlled drug 
prices by allowing our Government to negotiate directly with drug 
companies.
  Unfortunately this amendment was defeated when it came to the Senate 
for a full vote, but I continue to work with my colleagues on this and 
other proposals in an effort to bring these prices under control.
  In addition to health care access, our seniors deserve adequate 
protection through our Social Security Program. There are those who 
have suggested that to enable the Social Security fund to meet the 
expanding demand of our growing number of retirees, we should decrease 
benefits.
  The key strength of the Social Security system is its guaranteed 
benefit and we must work to preserve it rather than diminish it. Social 
Security has been effective in improving the standard of living and 
reducing poverty among the elderly and disabled by providing an 
inflation-indexed, defined benefit no matter how long an individual 
lives. Throughout their lives, seniors have paid into a system with the 
understanding that their benefits will be there for them when they 
retire. We ought to uphold our end of the bargain and ensure that these 
benefits are available.
  President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law 
against a backdrop of increasing poverty among elderly Americans. 
President Roosevelt sought to give ``a measure of protection for the 
average citizen and to his family against the loss of a job and against 
poverty-ridden old age.'' In my view, the words of President Roosevelt 
should continue to guide our conscience.
  America's Older Americans add great value to our Nation. We ought to 
take this month as an opportunity to show our appreciation for the 
value they add and redouble our efforts to support their needs.

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