[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 14]
[House]
[Page 18712]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      PRESCRIPTION DRUG LAW CREATES A GIANT HOLE IN DRUG COVERAGE

  (Mr. BUTTERFIELD asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. BUTTERFIELD. Mr. Speaker, in the coming days, millions of 
American seniors are going to see why the Republican prescription drug 
plan was written to help the pharmaceutical companies and the private 
insurance companies rather than to help our seniors.
  Republicans on Capitol Hill sided with the pharmaceutical companies 
when they wrote the law to forbid the Federal Government from 
negotiating lower prices. Then they sided with the private insurance 
companies when they allowed them to create private plans that include 
what is known as the doughnut hole, a giant gap in coverage, when 
seniors must continue to pay their premiums but receive absolutely no 
help with their prescription drug bills.
  That is right. Under the private plans that the Republicans created, 
seniors will lose their drug coverage after they spend $2,250 of their 
own money on prescription drugs.
  This Friday, Mr. Speaker, is the day that the average senior is 
expected to fall into the doughnut hole. If congressional Republicans 
were really interested in helping our seniors, they would join us in 
filling the doughnut hole so seniors do not have to continue to face 
this giant gap in coverage.

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