Mike Pence: “despite the very best efforts of our House Republican leadership, I rise to oppose the prescription drug bill that will…”

“despite the very best efforts of our House Republican leadership, I rise to oppose the prescription drug bill that will be considered before the Congress this week. It would, in fact, represent the largest expansion of Medicare in 35 years. Nancy-Ann DeParle, President Clinton's Medicare administrator, actually called this legislation the biggest expansion of government health benefits since the Great Society. And so it will be. I have consistently said that I would support the creation of a national prescription drug benefit in Medicare only if it is fiscally responsible and includes free market reform measures, which this legislation fails to do on both counts. Only by significantly reforming Medicare along the lines that President Bush initially requested, can we act in a way that is responsible and meet the urgent and real needs of seniors for prescription coverage. Of course there are seniors near the poverty level who need immediate help with the cost of prescription drugs. Nearly 24 percent of seniors have no access to prescription coverage, and about 5 percent have out-of-pocket costs of more than $4,000 per year. For those seniors, our national government should respond with a drug discount card or some form of direct subsidy, and I have supported these efforts.”