Bill Nelson: “I want it nailed down that I support this package. I think we can improve it, but at the end of the day, if we have not…”

“I want it nailed down that I support this package. I think we can improve it, but at the end of the day, if we have not been able to improve it by the amendment process, it is my intention to vote for it because I think it is a major step in the right direction. Over the course of time, we are going to be able to add to the law and improve it so that at the end of the day, perhaps in a year or two down the road, we are going to have a prescription drug benefit under Medicare for senior citizens. This legislation does many things, not the least of which is the most comprehensive attempt at expanding one of our Government's most successful experiments, this Medicare Program. Today, almost 80 percent of our seniors take at least one prescription drug a day and over half of them take an average of four prescription drug medications each day. Prescription drugs are responsible for keeping people out of the hospital and helping them maintain their health.”