[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 9]
[House]
[Pages 11228-11229]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

  (Ms. SOLIS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. SOLIS. Mr. Speaker, I raise my voice this morning in concern 
about the new Medicare prescription drug card that took effect 
yesterday.
  Last week, I visited numerous senior centers in my district to learn 
that many of those in my district are very confused because they do not 
have basic information about the program. The low-income seniors I met 
with are especially frightened because the information was not provided 
in their language, many who speak Spanish and many who speak Chinese.

                              {time}  1015

  There are 7.2 million low-income seniors whose needs are being 
ignored, yet the cost of medication is up 27 percent according to AARP.
  Additionally, pharmaceutical companies and lobbyists spent $2.7 
million to pass this legislation. Plus, the new Medicare law hurts 
seniors because a stringent and complex asset test is now in place, 
prohibiting many seniors in my district from taking full advantage of 
this program. They are even concerned about their burial plots, that 
that is going to be used against them.

[[Page 11229]]

  How dare we implement such legislation. My seniors ask me, 
Congresswoman, who is there to protect me? We voted for the Congress to 
protect us. Where are they when we need them? Who is looking out for 
us?''

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