Nancy L. Johnson: “Absolutely. That is exactly what I am saying. The fallback provision in the Senate bill will lead to drug prices that…”

The gentlewoman from Oregon should know that with this prescription drug insurance plan Medicare recipients in Oregon who are covered will go from 60 percent up to 96.6 percent. This bill brings a benefit to Oregon.

I also want to say both to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Regula) and also to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey) that you have brought forward for this body a very fine, balanced bill in a difficult era. The money that you have put into…

I do not consider the AARP a special interest group, or the Coalition to Ensure Patient Access a special interest group, or the Alzheimer's Association a special interest group, or the Kidney Cancer Association a special interest group.

I absolutely do. I think we are facing the possibility of physicians fleeing the Medicare program and creating a real access problem for seniors to physicians of their choice. But acceding to the Senate position is not going to fix it; it…