[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 1284]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



             PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICES TOO HIGH FOR SENIORS

  (Mr. GREEN of Texas asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, this Congress should have an open 
floor debate on legislation to help seniors afford the high cost of 
prescription drugs. We cannot sit on this issue any longer.
  It is estimated we have 13 million seniors who do not have 
prescription drug coverage, and the number is increasing rapidly, 
almost as rapidly as the cost of the drugs they need. These seniors 
worked hard and paid into the system their entire lives, but now must 
choose between buying their prescriptions or their groceries. Seniors 
tell me they have to skip their medication to make it last longer.
  I recently sent out a questionnaire to constituents in my District in 
Houston to learn what they think Congress' priorities should be. I 
received many responses from seniors saying Congress must act 
immediately to help them with the high cost of prescription drugs.
  I heard from seniors like Norma Keyes of Houston who writes, ``I need 
help with my prescriptions. I spend over half my Social Security on 
prescriptions. I can't get enough money to pay for my house and 
taxes.''
  Joyce Belyeu wrote, ``I am now retired after 53 years of working. I 
have Medicare and a supplement, but no prescription drug benefit at 
all. I can't afford the $250 per month for prescription drugs, so I can 
not take the prescription daily. I skip days.''
  We need to do better, and this Congress must do it.

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