Barbara Boxer: “I listened to Senator Gramm's attack on the Clinton-Gore prescription drug plan, the Democratic plan. I will tell you…”

“I listened to Senator Gramm's attack on the Clinton-Gore prescription drug plan, the Democratic plan. I will tell you, it was very interesting because I just read an article in one of the newspapers. I think it was in The Hill. It is an article by Representative Sherrod Brown. Representative Brown points to a confidential document--I will quote him--prepared for House Republicans. It found its way into the public realm. It wasn't news at the time, he says, but when you read it, it suggests that the Republicans go after the Democratic plan by calling it a one-size-fits-all plan, ``a big government plan, especially a one-size-fits-all big government plan.'' As I listened to Senator Gramm, he uses those terms over and over again. Now it sort of makes sense as to why they have put out this strategy on how to attack this plan. I had to smile when I was listening to Senator Gramm because I thought, Is he attacking the Medicare program? The Medicare program is a program that covers 99 percent of our seniors. I suppose he thinks that the one-size-fits-all big government plan--and I assume he feels that way because Governor Bush, in 4 years, wants to do away with the Medicare plan.”