Political Quotes

“one of the promises I made when I came to Washington was to improve the lives of East Alabama seniors. Unlike retirees in our country's metropolitan areas, the seniors of the Third District face far greater challenges. For starters, most Third District seniors lives in rural areas with few choices in health care providers. This undoubtedly means higher health costs and fewer costs when it comes to doctors, and higher out-of-pocket expenses for covering the same level of basic medical needs. Part of the problem, Mr. Speaker, is Medicare does not fairly and adequately reimburse doctors for their services. This is not fair, especially when retirees just across the Georgia border have far better access to doctors who are reimbursed by Medicare at higher rates. Seniors should not be penalized just because they live in rural areas. But assuming we fix the reimbursement problem, this still leaves Medicare as a program designed for the 1960s, yet providing care in 2003. That's why I'm pleased to be in the House today to offer my full support for adding a prescription drug benefit under Medicare.”