William Tauzin: “Let me reiterate again, the motion to instruct, to all Members of the House who are paying attention to this debate…”

“Let me reiterate again, the motion to instruct, to all Members of the House who are paying attention to this debate, basically says to the Senate and House conferees: accept the Senate language, take the Senate bill, take the Democratic vision that was rejected overwhelmingly on this House floor, and make it the conference report. It basically recedes to the Senate provisions and eliminates the basic competitive elements that were approved on this House floor in this historic vote just several weeks ago. The argument that we need to instruct the conferees to adopt the Senate provision because somehow the seniors who are sickest and eldest in our society are going to lose Medicare in 2010 is just absolutely wrong. The fact is that they are not going to be driven into a small class of people only covered by Medicare because, as my friend points out, the private plans we vision coming into effect have guaranteed issue. They cannot refuse anybody. So if their mother, grandmother, grandfather wants to take one of these private plans because they offer a better, more efficient system of health care than does the Government plan, they will have a right to take it. They cannot be denied no matter how old or how sick they are.”