[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 8]
[House]
[Pages 10597-10598]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

  (Mrs. CAPITO asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to encourage my colleagues in

[[Page 10598]]

the House to work together in a bipartisan manner to enact meaningful 
prescription drug relief for America's seniors. During the first week 
of the spring district work period, I toured five rural community 
centers across my district, and I will be continuing that tour, but the 
thing I heard on the first tour and will hear through the rest of the 
year is why has Congress not passed prescription drug reform? 
Guaranteeing all senior citizens the right to choose a voluntary 
prescription drug plan under Medicare while strengthening Medicare for 
the future are fundamental building blocks to improving the overall 
health care system. Congress has risen to meet many challenges in the 
past and we must meet this one.
  Mr. Speaker, it is time to ask ourselves, why have we not passed 
prescription drug reform? The time has passed for partisan politics. 
There are too many seniors facing the horrific choice of whether to buy 
food, pay their mortgage or rent, or purchase the prescriptions that 
they need.

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