[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 10548]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         PROVIDING SENIORS PRESCRIPTIONS AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE

  (Mr. MENENDEZ asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, they built this Nation, raised their 
families and fought for our freedom, so no senior in this country, not 
a single one, should be without the prescription drugs they need to 
stay healthy.
  Every senior deserves access to the prescriptions they need at an 
affordable price. We do that in our plan. Republicans do not. That is 
what we Democrats are fighting for.
  If we controlled the House, we would pass a bill to cover all 
seniors, not just some, but all seniors today. In fact, we would have 
passed a bill years ago, but almost 8 years after Republicans took 
control of the House, they still refuse to give all seniors the 
coverage they deserve.
  Why is that? The sad truth is that Republicans would rather protect 
100 percent of their special interest friends and leave millions of 
seniors without the coverage they need, and that is a sorry, 
inexcusable disgrace.
  Let us have what Democrats are proposing. Let us have a vote on this 
floor for a universal, affordable, voluntary prescription drug program 
for America's seniors.

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