Chuck Hagel: “Over the next 2 weeks, the Senate will begin a historic effort to reform and strengthen Medicare. What we do here over…”

“Over the next 2 weeks, the Senate will begin a historic effort to reform and strengthen Medicare. What we do here over the coming weeks will affect every American and future generations. Health care is a defining issue for our Nation. We must take the long view and recognize that if we do it right, the changes we make in health care, in the delivery of that care, will result in improved access to quality care and lower costs for Americans well into the future. This must be our objective. The Senate Finance Committee bill represents a good solid beginning. The Senate Finance Committee, under the leadership of Chairman Grassley and Ranking Minority Member Baucus, deserves great credit for its hard work and efforts in bringing the bill to the floor of the Senate. Over the next 2 weeks, the Senate will work with members to improve upon their bill. Medicare is one of the two largest programs in the Federal Government. Today, Medicare covers over 40 million Americans, including 35 million over the age of 65 and nearly 6 million younger adults with permanent disabilities.”