Frank Pallone: “Mr. Speaker, if I can spend a little time talking about some of the reasons that we have seen in the media over the last…”

“Mr. Speaker, if I can spend a little time talking about some of the reasons that we have seen in the media over the last 24 hours why there may be as many as 20 or 30 of our colleagues on the Republican side who are not willing to vote for this Republican bill. I think we sort of articulated already the general reason, which is that this Republican bill is not a Medicare benefit. It is not guaranteed to anyone because it basically operates through private insurance companies, and they may not offer it at all, or in various parts of the country. But there were other specific things that came up today, and again I am looking at Congress Daily this morning that has an article, ``House GOP Still Shy of Majority To Pass Prescription Bill.'' The Republican bill does not address the issue of cost, does not do anything to reduce prices for prescription drugs.”