[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 20]
[House]
[Page 28305]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          DISCOUNT DRUG CARDS

  (Mr. FOLEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. FOLEY. Mr. Speaker, the Medicare conferees are about to wrap up 
their important work on providing a prescription drug coverage plan for 
America's seniors; and I am excited about the impact it will have on my 
district, the 16th Congressional District of Florida, which has the 
fifth largest population of Medicare-eligible seniors in America. 
Legislation I have worked on over 4 years with Senator Hagel includes 
the drug discount card which is part of this historic landmark 
legislation which will provide for over 40 million seniors the 
opportunity to receive up to a 25 percent discount on their 
prescription drug costs.
  This is good news for seniors, welcomed good news for our seniors in 
the 16th Congressional District, and I am hopeful as we continue our 
bipartisan negotiations that when we conclude our work on Medicare, it 
will not only be reformed, it will become cost effective, and it will 
also contain the vital new programs necessary to modernize for the 
first time in over 35 years this vitally important safety net, a 
medical delivery system for our seniors.
  Mr. Speaker, I am excited about the drug discount card, I applaud the 
White House for their leadership in taking the idea of Senator Hagel 
and myself to make it permanent law, and we welcome the opportunity to 
reach out to seniors with this good plan.

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