James Davis: “The motion to instruct represents an attempt to identify two areas that must be addressed if there is to be a…”

“The motion to instruct represents an attempt to identify two areas that must be addressed if there is to be a compromise, if there is to be a prescription drug benefit under Medicare in this Congress. I daresay virtually every Member of this body has promised to find a way to provide Medicare coverage for prescription drugs. There is a basis for consensus among Republicans and Democrats to operate within the constraints of the budget. This is not the budget many Democrats would have chosen but out of a desire to solve this problem immediately and begin to provide some coverage for the seniors at home that are desperately struggling to meet their drug bills, there is a desire to work together. The two issues the motion to instruct addresses are very simple. The first is whether or not our seniors are forced to rely exclusively on private plans to get drug coverage. Since this bill was introduced weeks ago, I would say there is not a single private insurance company in Washington or the United States that has come forward to the Federal Government and said, we want your money, we want to provide this private drug benefit you have created.”