Mike Pence: “as Congress this week considers the largest expansion of Medicare in 35 years, we should begin with the understanding…”

“as Congress this week considers the largest expansion of Medicare in 35 years, we should begin with the understanding that Medicare has actually cost the American taxpayers 7 rac{1}{2} times in real dollars what it was projected to cost. And while the needs for some prescription drug for some seniors is very, very real, it is important also to recall that 76 percent of seniors in America today have prescription drug coverage. I would offer that our reforms this week should be about focusing solutions at the point of the need. Let us help our seniors near the poverty level with urgent and sufficient prescription drug coverage. Let us reform Medicare so it will be there for the future without placing an undue burden on our children and grandchildren. Let us otherwise do no harm to the private sector foundation of the greatest health care system in the history of the world. For all these reasons I will oppose a universal drug benefit in Medicare. By agreeing to a prescription drug benefit for all seniors rather than just those in need, Congress threatens our Nation's fiscal stability, our own private prescription plans, and the survival of our free market health care system. One more massive Federal entitlement is, simply put, a prescription for disaster.”