Sheldon Whitehouse: “I speak today in outrage that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have chosen to block S. 3, the Medicare…”

“I speak today in outrage that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have chosen to block S. 3, the Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act, from coming to the floor. You meet a lot of people when you campaign for a seat in this esteemed body. You meet people of all ages, from all socioeconomic levels, from all ethnic and cultural backgrounds, liberal and conservative, rural and urban, healthy and ailing--you meet them all. These individuals bring personal voices to national issues. They educate us with their stories, and they trust us to be stewards of their experiences. I am sure my fellow freshman Senators will agree with me when I say that listening to these stories was the best part of running for U.S. Senate. Sometimes these stories are uplifting tales about the triumphs of government: SCHIP providing health insurance to at-risk children, AmeriCorps helping young people serve communities throughout the Nation, The Family and Medical Leave Act allowing parents, spouses, and children the time to care for loved ones. But sometimes these stories are just the opposite--depressing, discouraging, disheartening tales of how the government has failed in its duty to support and safeguard our must vulnerable citizens. I have hosted community dinners throughout my State. Some of the very saddest stories that Rhode Islanders shared with me were about their experiences with the Part D drug benefit.”