[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 14]
[House]
[Pages 19707-19708]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



     PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT UNDER MEDICARE IS WHAT SENIORS WANT

  (Ms. SCHAKOWSKY asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, as we speak right now, outside of this 
Chamber, our senior citizens who have come here begging us for some 
relief for the high cost of prescription drugs, they are telling us 
about how they are spending all of their money, rather

[[Page 19708]]

than being able to buy the nutritious food or put a decent roof over 
their head, they are struggling to pay for the drugs that they need. We 
have only a few days left to provide real relief. A prescription drug 
benefit under Medicare is what they want.
  Now we are talking about reimportation of lower-cost drugs from 
Canada. That is fine. Let us do that. Although, I have to tell my 
colleagues, it is pretty crazy that we have to rely on the Canadian 
Government who puts some controls on the cost of drugs, the cost they 
are willing to pay, and we as Americans have to go and buy those same 
American-made drugs from the Canadians because we do not do anything to 
control the cost.
  Senior citizens need help. Let us get a prescription drug benefit 
under Medicare.

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