Frank Pallone: “First of all, I mentioned earlier when the gentlewoman from New Mexico said that Medicare is very successful, and I said…”

“First of all, I mentioned earlier when the gentlewoman from New Mexico said that Medicare is very successful, and I said to her at the time, well, if it is very successful, then why are the Republicans in this Medicare conference report trying to essentially change and gut and I think destroy Medicare the way we know it? Now, what the Democrats have been saying all along is, if you have a pot of money and you want to provide prescription drugs to senior citizens pursuant to the Medicare program, which you admit is a successful program, then why not just add the prescription drug benefit to the existing Medicare program? We know right now that all seniors are entitled to Medicare, because if they are over a certain age, they are entitled to Medicare. It is an entitlement. We have a program for hospital care; we have a part B program for doctor care.”