[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 6686]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       LESS THAN 2 WEEKS UNTIL PRESCRIPTION DRUG SIGN-UP DEADLINE

  (Mr. CLEAVER asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. CLEAVER. Mr. Speaker, if this House does not act within the next 
2 weeks, millions of American seniors will face the egregious and 
unfair prescription drug tax.
  As this calendar shows, May 15 is the deadline President Bush and 
congressional Republicans created for seniors to sign up for a 
prescription drug plan. In town hall meetings I have held throughout my 
district, the seniors of Missouri District 5 are outraged by and 
confused over Medicare part D. If they do not sign up for a plan within 
the next 13 days, a penalty of at least a 7 percent premium tax will be 
forced on every single individual every single month for the rest of 
their lives simply because they did not sign up for this confusing and 
sometimes less beneficial Medicare part D program.
  For over a month, Democrats have come to this floor almost daily 
urging Republicans to join us in preventing this grave injustice from 
taking place on May 15. Time is running out for Congress to do the 
right thing and support this extension. America seniors cannot afford a 
Bush prescription drug tax.

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