John Joseph Moakley: “Mr. Speaker, you can easily have a voluntary program which, if people are satisfied with what kind of health insurance…”

“Mr. Speaker, you can easily have a voluntary program which, if people are satisfied with what kind of health insurance coverage and prescription benefit coverage that they have, if they are happy with that, they can continue that. If you allow it to be useful to all seniors, where everyone has the opportunity for this benefit, then by virtue of the fact that every senior, not only those who make under $12,600 but those who are in the middle class as well will be able to enjoy the benefit of getting those prescription drugs down. Once you even it out and everyone has the opportunity to have that kind of prescription drug benefit, you drive the cost of prescription drugs down. It is why the pharmaceutical companies are opposed to it. It is why the Republican House leadership is opposed to it, because it ties in directly with where the special interests are today.”