DENNIS A. CARDOZA: “I would like to first assure the gentleman from Texas that I have not attempted to score debating points since I…”

“I would like to first assure the gentleman from Texas that I have not attempted to score debating points since I graduated from high school, and I think this issue dealing with Medicare for our seniors, prescription drugs for our seniors, is far too important to consider debating points. What we are concerned about is the fact that we have been excluded, predominantly, from a conference committee that is critically important to the vast majority of our seniors in this Nation. So this is the only method we have to have input into that conference process. I would also like to make the point that administrative costs in private plans are approximately 15 percent and under the Medicare system that we have in this country is probably one of the most efficient possible ways of delivering health care to our seniors. We only have a 2 percent administrative cost.”