Political Quotes

“this Republican Medicare bill falls well short of what our country's retirees deserve. And I believe, that if this Congress and this President had not squandered the budget surplus we could afford to give our seniors a benefit they deserve. It is well past time to assist with our seniors prescription drug costs. The Democratic substitute provides a reliable and affordable benefit to America's seniors. This voluntary prescription drug coverage costs only $25 a month with a $100 deductible and provides a $2000 stop-loss protection with no gaps in coverage. There are also special provisions to help the poorest seniors with either full payment or assistance on a sliding fee scale. The Democratic substitute I support also allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to wield the collective bargaining power of the 40 million Medicare beneficiaries to negotiate lower drug prices. And as the ranking member on the Veterans' Affairs Committee, I was proud to help craft a similar plan which has helped our nation's veterans lower their out of pocket drug costs. As a member representing a rural district, I also want to highlight the rural health care provisions included in the Democratic substitute.”