Robert Wexler: “Prescription drug coverage has long been a top priority for a majority of Americans, and as a result, both George Bush…”

“Prescription drug coverage has long been a top priority for a majority of Americans, and as a result, both George Bush and Al Gore pledged during the 2000 Presidential campaign to provide seniors with a comprehensive prescription drug plan and finally put an end to the prescription drug crisis in America. The House Republican leadership avoided this issue for as long as they could, but the day of reckoning arrived, and when it was time for both sides to ante up, the Republicans offered nothing but a sham. Now here we are, preparing to vote on what the Republicans say is a plan that will help seniors pay for prescription drugs. But before we do, I want all my colleagues to know what is really on the table. Quite simply, the Republican prescription drug plan is a disgrace; it is nothing more than a half-hearted attempt to deliver on an empty promise and provide themselves with election year cover. This will not bring the rising costs of prescription drugs down, it has significant gaps in coverage, and where it does provide coverage, it relies completely on unreliable HMOs and insurance companies to provide it. The Republican plan will get us nowhere and will leave too many seniors with nothing at all. As we look at the Republican proposal, it is clear that while the needs of so many are being neglected, the wants of an influential few are being met.”