Byron Dorgan: “No. Let me just say that I heard the explanation the Senator gave, and I heard the explanation also by Senator Kennedy…”

“No. Let me just say that I heard the explanation the Senator gave, and I heard the explanation also by Senator Kennedy on the floor that, in fact, we have people who do not want to bring this bill to the floor of the Senate. They never wanted it on the floor of the Senate. They described a ``good'' bill in the House which was passed by the House. It is referred to as a credible bill. A senior with $1,000 in annual drug costs would still pay 81 percent out-of-pocket costs under a bill passed by the House. Is that a good bill? I don't think so. A senior citizen with $2,000 in yearly drug expenditures would still pay 65 percent of the cost out of their pockets. Is that a good bill? I don't think so. A senior citizen with $3,000 in annual drug costs pays 77 percent of the money out of their pocket. That is not a drug benefit that makes sense. My only point is to say there is no reason to delay. Let us just proceed with the legislation, understanding that we are going to do a bill that deals with prescription drug benefits and Medicare.”