Political Quotes

“5 years ago, this body launched a bipartisan commission on Medicare with the purpose of addressing both the short-term, mid-term, and long-term challenges we have with sustaining Medicare, preserving Medicare, and strengthening Medicare. That bipartisan commission did develop a solid bipartisan proposal. Since 1999, the Senate Finance Committee has held 29 hearings on Medicare, and 7 of those hearings specifically focused on adding a prescription drug benefit to Medicare coverage. We have discussed the issue, we have debated the issue, we have dissected it, and we have deliberated on the issue of Medicare modernization and Medicare improvement for years now--for 6 years since we first began talking about the Medicare commission. I sincerely believe that the stars are aligned for legislative action and a vote to preserve Medicare and strengthen and improve it and address the prescription drugs issue right now, this month. It is now time for us not to just talk about the issue again but to act on the issue.”