Rick Allen: “this is a day of shame for the House of Representatives. The Republican leadership will not allow a vote in a debate on…”

“this is a day of shame for the House of Representatives. The Republican leadership will not allow a vote in a debate on the Democratic prescription drug benefit under Medicare. Instead, Republicans have produced a bill that says to our seniors, HMOs and insurance companies can help you. We will give those companies your tax dollars, and we will hope they will offer you insurance coverage. But the insurance companies are saying loudly and clearly, we will not provide stand-alone prescription drug coverage. Every day in this country seniors do not fill their prescriptions. They cut their tablets in half. They do not take their medicines or do not eat well because the most profitable industry in this country is charging the highest prices in the world to people who can least afford it, including our seniors. Canadians, Mexicans, HMOs, insurance companies, they all pay far less than our seniors. The Republican bill is not relief for seniors, it is a prescription to protect drug company profits and Republican Members of this House from defeat in November. Mr. Speaker, when we look at a person who pays $2,300, they will wind up paying $1,700 out of their own pocket under the Republican plan. That plan is a fraud.”