William Tauzin: “Mr. Speaker, this debate tonight should not be about politics. American seniors have heard all the politics they can…”

“Mr. Speaker, this debate tonight should not be about politics. American seniors have heard all the politics they can stomach. And the AARP said it best in their letter. They said, ``Our members, virtually all older Americans, need this coverage now.'' What coverage were they talking about? They were talking about the coverage in this bill. Here is a quote from the AARP, and I am sorry my colleagues are in such disagreement with the AARP, but here is their quote. ``We are pleased that your bill makes the voluntary prescription drug benefit permanent and maintains the entitlement nature of the Medicare program.'' Now this is not also about who loves their mother or father the most or their grandparents the most or who is willing to step up to the plate and do what they can to make sure that American citizens in their senior years have prescription drug benefits. This is about whether or not we have a plan that works. We think it does, and the AARP agrees with us. Now let me make another point. We have heard a lot about the drug companies. I want to give my colleagues a Clinton administration statistic. The Clinton administration estimated that seniors without drug coverage pay 20 percent more for their drugs than anybody else in America with drug coverage. This bill will give seniors drug coverage. It will reduce the cost of their drugs at the expense of the pharmaceuticals.”