Glenn English: “I want to rise today not only to mark this historic day for Medicare beneficiaries because today, for the first time…”

“I want to rise today not only to mark this historic day for Medicare beneficiaries because today, for the first time since the program's inception, Medicare, through a discount card, will be providing real relief to seniors who struggle to pay for their prescription medicines. I want to acknowledge that, but I also want to especially acknowledge the efforts of the gentlewoman as chairman of the Subcommittee on Health for making this legislation possible. I am very proud to have been part of the team that helped put this legislation together and see it through to the end; and I am also glad to be on the floor tonight, having heard some of the extraordinary claims from a number of Members who consistently voted against prescription drug benefits for seniors. They are now trying to run down the program that we put together, we fit into a budget, and we got passed in the House. The record shows that they did not offer a credible alternative, they did not offer a budget that they could fit it into, and they were talking a lot about seniors, but not delivering. The discount card program that was created under the Medicare reform bill that we passed will also ultimately create a prescription drug program that will be available by 2006 for every Medicare beneficiary. But what we have done, which is so important, is offer an interim program to provide immediate relief for seniors.”