[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 11753]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            REPUBLICANS DENYING OUR SENIORS RELIEF THEY NEED

  (Mr. DOGGETT asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, today Republicans refuse to permit 
consideration of a prescription drug plan for our seniors on the very 
same day that one of their leaders condemns the basic Medicare program 
as a Soviet-style program. The Republicans have no prescription drug 
plan, only a scheme to privatize Medicare and to protect prescription 
drug manufacturers. They want to turn seniors over to HMOs with no 
guaranteed deductible, no guaranteed premium, and no guaranteed 
benefit. Some plan.
  The House Republican leadership has once again pledged its allegiance 
to the pharmaceutical manufacturers who are the price gougers that 
forcing our seniors to pay the highest prices of any people in the 
entire world. Little wonder that these same manufacturers are already 
on the airwaves across America paying millions for ads to defend their 
Republican House partners who are trying today to deny our seniors the 
relief they so very desperately need.

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