Pete Stark: “Mr. Speaker, just to straighten out some of the figures, the Republicans do indeed add $26.7 billion for rural…”

“Mr. Speaker, just to straighten out some of the figures, the Republicans do indeed add $26.7 billion for rural providers. We add $39.1 billion for rural providers. That is $2.5 billion more, and I would hope that the Republicans are not lying to the seniors. You can lie to us because we are used to it. The White House has set the tone for that. But do not lie to the seniors. There is nothing in your bill. I say to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Portman), there is nothing in your bill that guarantees anything, and to say that to the seniors is lying to them. Our bill provides a Medicare benefit which is definable. Yours does not. You do not require any benefits if no insurance company steps up to the plate and there is nothing that requires it. There is not one line in your bill that requires an insurance company to provide anything. So it is all a fantasy. At least we are requiring the government to provide a benefit to the seniors in the same manner they are now familiar, under Medicare with a determined premium, a determined deductible, determined benefits, the same across the country. None of that is available through the Republican bill. To tell the seniors otherwise is lying. You have lied to us tonight and stop lying to the seniors.”