Mark Kennedy: “this bill is important and overdue for our Nation's 13 million seniors. Our seniors deserve prescription drug coverage…”

“this bill is important and overdue for our Nation's 13 million seniors. Our seniors deserve prescription drug coverage now. They do not deserve the Democrat's election-year gimmick. The average senior saves 44 percent on current drug costs under our plan. Mr. Speaker, our plan gives seniors immediate relief from the rising cost of prescription drugs by providing a discount of up to 25 percent off the top of the overall drug cost. Just last week, Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson released a study showing our plan would save seniors more money than our friends on the other side of the aisle. In addition to the immediate discount and cost sharing, our plan includes catastrophic protection, 100 percent prescription drug coverage for low-income seniors, and more Medicare choices and savings. I support the passage of this bill and this rule, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.”