Emanuel Cleaver: “if this House does not act within the next 2 weeks, millions of American seniors will face the egregious and unfair…”

“if this House does not act within the next 2 weeks, millions of American seniors will face the egregious and unfair prescription drug tax. As this calendar shows, May 15 is the deadline President Bush and congressional Republicans created for seniors to sign up for a prescription drug plan. In town hall meetings I have held throughout my district, the seniors of Missouri District 5 are outraged by and confused over Medicare part D. If they do not sign up for a plan within the next 13 days, a penalty of at least a 7 percent premium tax will be forced on every single individual every single month for the rest of their lives simply because they did not sign up for this confusing and sometimes less beneficial Medicare part D program. For over a month, Democrats have come to this floor almost daily urging Republicans to join us in preventing this grave injustice from taking place on May 15. Time is running out for Congress to do the right thing and support this extension. America seniors cannot afford a Bush prescription drug tax. ____________________”