[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 10704]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT

  (Mrs. MINK of Hawaii asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. MINK of Hawaii. Mr. Speaker, the Committee on Ways and Means has 
reported out a very modest bill to deal with the issue of prescription 
drugs. All of us have spoken to senior citizens, gone to their 
meetings. The issue is not how much can the Congress provide in 
Medicare coverage, and I must say that the plan that we are going to be 
debating provides very modest coverage. It does almost nothing until 
there is $4,500 worth of bills to pay. The real issue for seniors is 
that the price of prescription drugs has gone completely out of hand.
  Unless Congress deals with that issue, no matter how much coverage we 
give under Medicare, the problem is not solved. The issue is what are 
we going to do about the skyrocketing costs of these drugs.
  Tonight's celebration that the Republicans are all going to is 
typical of the problem. They are in bed with the pharmaceutical 
companies. Until we break apart this coalition, the seniors are going 
to suffer and have to pay more and more. Instead of taking one pill a 
day, they take one pill every 2 days.

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