Janice Schakowsky: “President Bush went to New York yesterday to tout his confusing and failing prescription drug plan for seniors. The Bush…”

“President Bush went to New York yesterday to tout his confusing and failing prescription drug plan for seniors. The Bush administration has botched this plan since day one. For one, Medicare itself put out all kinds of wrong information that increased confusion among already frustrated seniors. Second, low-income seniors that were promised an easy transition from State programs to Federal programs ran into huge problems, leaving some seniors no choice but to go without their drugs. Third, States were forced to step in and pick up the tab for the Federal Government's incompetence. It is no wonder that only about five million seniors have willingly signed up for the plan. Seniors should not be penalized for the Bush administration's incompetence. Unfortunately, that is exactly what will happen if President Bush does not extend the deadline for seniors to sign up for the plan. Two months from today, May 15, is the deadline for seniors to sign up for a plan; and if they do not, the administration will permanently increase their premium with a 1 percent penalty for every month they wait to sign up. Democrats want this deadline extended, and we want to fix the drug plan so it works for seniors and the disabled and not just the drug and insurance companies. ____________________”