Frank Pallone: “I would be glad to be one of the cosponsors because I looked at it, I read about it, and I think it is a very good and…”

“I would be glad to be one of the cosponsors because I looked at it, I read about it, and I think it is a very good and needed legislation. He points out very effectively again why it is important for us to speak out on the Medicare issue and on the prescription drug issue. I think on this one, it is just a perfect example of where he is going to be giving the impression tonight that somehow he is going to reform Medicare, he is going to provide a prescription drug program, but then when we look at the data, it is just not there. It is essentially a privatization of Medicare. It essentially says if a person is willing to join an HMO or if they are willing to take Federal dollars and get into some other kind of private program, we will provide them with a prescription drugs benefit, but for the vast majority of the Americans who either will not want to get out of traditional Medicare or will not even have the option, it is not going to be meaningful.”