C. W. Bill Young: “I want to include for the benefit of my colleagues today's editorial from my hometown newspaper The St. Petersburg Times…”

“I want to include for the benefit of my colleagues today's editorial from my hometown newspaper The St. Petersburg Times that warns the House to be careful with the passage of this legislation. In Rx: dose of reality, the editors say ``that Democrats should walk away from this fight. House Democrats may think they can heal the Medicare drug program in one easy congressional dose, but their Senate counterparts are wise to take more time. Seniors have had enough of empty political promises already. They deserve affordable coverage.'' Indeed, I support making prescription drugs more affordable for all Americans, and in particular older Americans who are enrolled in the Medicare Part D program. If this legislation did that, I would be the first to support it. But as the editorial I have cited as well as the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has found in analyzing H.R. 4, this bill will result in no meaningful savings to consumers or to taxpayers. Following my remarks, I will include a letter from the Congressional Budget Office dated January 10, 2007 which says that H.R. 4 would have a ``negligible effect'' on federal spending and drug prices because the federal government would not have the authority required to negotiate lower drug prices.”