[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 14]
[House]
[Page 18953]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         DEMOCRATS UNVEIL NEW PARTNERSHIP FOR AMERICA'S FUTURE

  (Mr. BROWN of Ohio asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, recently the President of the United 
States announced a record increase, 17.4 percent, in the premiums that 
Medicare beneficiaries will be forced to pay, a record not matched in 
the 38-year history of Medicare. Why this increase? Because of the 
President's prescription drug bill, a drug bill written by the 
insurance industry, written by the drug industry.

                              {time}  1015

  Twenty-three billion dollars in direct subsidies go from the pockets 
of seniors, with their premium increase, into the coffers of the 
insurance companies, $180 billion dollars extra profits for the already 
record profitable drug companies.
  And this has happened over and over on the House floor: middle of the 
night votes, literally a bribe offered on the House floor during the 
passage of Medicare. That is why Democrats are unveiling today the New 
Partnership for America's Future to take our country in a new 
direction, to take our country in a better direction.

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