On the recordNovember 20, 2003
I want seniors, if the bill passes, to understand it will not happen until 2006, so we are clear on that. Mr. Speaker, I had a town hall meeting for my seniors and what they said to me is, they wanted a prescription drug benefit that would be fair, that would be guaranteed, and that would be affordable. I have been talking and talking about how I want it to be fair, guaranteed, and affordable and, as I review this bill, it is not that. I am here talking on a motion to instruct because as a new member of the Committee on Ways and Means, I thought that my ranking member would have a chance to be in the meeting. Now, the reality is, the Democratic House Members were not included. We went to a meeting with the chairman, the gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas), and he said, only those who are Members of the willing, or however the heck he described it, get to come to the private meetings of the conference committee.
Source
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