John Shaw: “Medicare passed this Congress on July 27 of 1965 and was signed into law in Independence, Missouri, on July 30 of 1965.…”

“Medicare passed this Congress on July 27 of 1965 and was signed into law in Independence, Missouri, on July 30 of 1965. It is interesting, and I was watching C-SPAN today and watching the goings on within the Committee on Rules. And I heard several of the Democrat witnesses come in and say, your party did not support Medicare in the first place and you want it to wither on the vine. After hearing this over and over, I thought, well, it is about time somebody goes into the archives and finds out the truth. The truth is the majority of the Republicans in this House of Representatives in 1965 did support Medicare. So the big lie now can go down and be deflated. Also, I have heard many witnesses on the other side say what a bonanza this is for big drug companies. Nobody is mentioning the fact that we are shortening the time that generics can get on the market. You think the big drug companies like that? Of course not. Also, the discount card where prices will be negotiated and seniors will get their drugs for less money. Nobody on that side is talking about that. What this is actually is a cost-containment bill and probably the largest one that will ever be signed into law providing for the cost containment in drugs. I sent out a survey as many of us do to some of our constituents and was just simply asking them did they want this drug bill. I received back the biggest number that I have ever received.”