[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 16271]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT

  (Mr. COOPER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. COOPER. Madam Speaker, today is the day that our seniors have 
been waiting for for many, many years, the day that we will pass a 
Medicare prescription drug benefit. Unfortunately, the real debate took 
place last night upstairs in an attic room in this building in the dark 
of night, literally starting after midnight, from 1 to 4 a.m., burglar 
hours, not lawmaker hours. In that debate, they foreclosed real debate 
on this floor today. They allowed only two bills to be considered, the 
Republican plan which is deeply flawed, which will end Medicare as we 
know it, and another plan which is too large to fit within the budget 
window. I supported the Dooley alternative, a much more sensible piece 
of legislation. Our seniors deserve better, much better than will be 
done for them on this House floor today.

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