Stephanie Herseth Sandlin: “Mr. Speaker, we have an opportunity today. We have an opportunity to make prescription drugs both available and…”

“Mr. Speaker, we have an opportunity today. We have an opportunity to make prescription drugs both available and affordable to our Nation's seniors. We have an opportunity to slam the door shut on the giant Republican-sponsored gap in coverage in their so-called prescription drug bill, aka the HMO Enrichment Act. We have an opportunity today to help people in need, not HMOs in want. How do we do that? We must close the gap in coverage in prescription drugs that has been invented and advanced by our friends on the other side of the aisle, and we can do that by supporting this instruction. Mr. Speaker, as my colleagues know, the Republican drug plan provides absolutely no prescription drug coverage at all to our Nation's seniors between the amounts of $2,000 and $5,000; but even though they are receiving absolutely no coverage, they are required to pay a premium each and every month. Who wrote that provision, the HMOs? They expect to get paid a monthly premium every month like clockwork and provide absolutely no benefits to the seniors. That is outrageous, and how, oh, how, Mr. Speaker, can our Republican friends support such an outrageous position and favor the wealthy HMOs over our worthy seniors?”