[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 15041]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          MODERNIZING MEDICARE

  (Mr. GINGREY asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GINGREY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to address the House in 
support of the Medicare Modernization and Prescription Drug Act, which 
will be marked up in the Committee on Ways and Means and the Committee 
on Energy and Commerce this morning.
  Modernizing Medicare with a prescription drug benefit puts a down 
payment on a healthy future for Americans. The House has an historic 
opportunity to bring up to date our health care system for millions of 
seniors.
  The bill that will soon be before this House reflects the 
compassionate conservatism of my party. It is compassionate because it 
is providing much needed prescription drug coverage to Americans on a 
fixed income. It is conservative because prescription drugs often 
provide the ounce of prevention that beats the pound of cure. It is 
conservative because this legislation will serve the people today 
without breaking the bank tomorrow. It makes no financial sense to 
cover astronomically expensive surgery and not cover drugs that could 
have prevented that surgery.
  We have promised a benefit to our seniors for years. This year, this 
year, Madam Speaker, it is time to deliver.

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