Phil Gingrey: “as the gentleman points out, we are saying that this Medicare Prescription Drug and Modernization conference committee…”

“as the gentleman points out, we are saying that this Medicare Prescription Drug and Modernization conference committee report of 2003, which we are going to vote on tomorrow, it is not just to the benefit of our seniors. Of course that is very important to provide this prescription drug benefit, as the gentleman pointed out, especially to the neediest. But it helps our younger workers as well, does it not? I think there are maybe 40 million, maybe it is 43 million now uninsured. I started to say unemployed, but the truth is 65 percent of the uninsured, no health insurance, are employed. They have got jobs. They are working hard. They go to work every day. But their employer, maybe it is a small shop, five, 10, 15 people, they cannot go out in the marketplace and afford to buy that policy, that first dollar coverage or $500 deductible. It is just too expensive, and they cannot individually afford to do it either. But this opportunity the gentleman describes is going to be a tremendous help to our workers at whatever age and, finally, they are going to get an opportunity to get health care.”