[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Pages 13978-13979]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  UNANIMOUS-CONSENT REQUEST--H.R. 3661

  Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the 
consideration of Calendar No. 836, H.R. 3661, an act to extend the 
expiring Medicare provisions; that the bill be read a third time and 
passed and that the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, with 
no intervening action or debate.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there objection?
  Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, there is 
obviously a great need to correct the problem of what will occur if we 
do not fix the doctors' reimbursement schedule.
  But there are also more ways to do this than one, and the one that is 
being proposed is the House-passed bill by the majority leader. We 
would suggest that since the Senate should be heard on this matter and 
have the opportunity to put its ideas on the table, Senator Grassley 
and Senator Baucus should have a chance to work on the Senate proposal; 
that we would rather proceed with an extension of the present Medicare 
provisions so doctors are not subject to a reduction in reimbursement 
for 30 days and allow this to happen.
  I will be required to object to this on behalf of the leadership over 
here and myself. Then I would like the courtesy of the majority leader 
to ask unanimous consent for a 30-day extension.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Objection is heard.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I say to my friend, this legislation passed 
the House by a huge bipartisan vote--359, as I recall, House Members 
voted for this.
  Now, as far as putting the stamp of the Senate on this bill, we have 
already done that. We passed a bill. We had every Democrat and nine 
Republicans. That is basically what the House has sent back to us--that 
matter we took a look at earlier.
  I say that the chairman of the committee, Senator Baucus, is 100 
percent behind this request I have, as is the AARP, the AMA, and many 
support groups around the country. That is now in the Record. We put 
that in the Record yesterday.
  So this is something we have to do. I would say to my friend, on the 
30-day extension, I understand the seriousness of his proposal. I have 
said many times on this floor, I will not repeat it in detail, I have 
the greatest respect for the distinguished Senator from New Hampshire. 
But it is my understanding that there has been an objection to my 
proposal, and he will go ahead and offer the 30-day extension, to which 
I will object.
  I will be happy to seriously consider it but not too seriously.
  Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the consideration of a 30-day

[[Page 13979]]

Medicare extension that is at the desk; that it be read a third time 
and passed; that the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table.
  I think the point is, there are serious reservations on our side of 
the aisle, and I think legitimately other places, on the way the House 
has handled elements of the Medicare system in this bill and that is to 
undermine the ability of many seniors to participate in what is known 
as Medicare Advantage.
  We think there is a better way to do it. We think the Senate can do a 
better job of this bill, and we think 30 days to work on it makes some 
sense.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there objection?
  Mr. REID. I object.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Objection is heard.

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