Lizzie Fletcher: “Again, prescription drugs for our seniors is probably the most pressing health care issue that we face, and I want to…”

“Again, prescription drugs for our seniors is probably the most pressing health care issue that we face, and I want to thank the chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce for his leadership in bringing this to the floor, a plan that is reasonable, responsible and doable, unlike a plan that was brought up in our committee and will be brought up in the recommit motion. That is a plan that scores out at $973 billion with absolutely no way to pay for it. That means you are either going to have to increase taxes on our children, grandchildren or you are going to have to take it from education, national security, homeland security, or Social Security. Those are the only choices you have. Let me talk just briefly. Two years ago there was a $303 billion prescription bill plan. Who supported that? Virtually every single Democrat supported that. What happened this year? I think they have had an election year epiphany. All of a sudden, it is an election year; and we need three times as much money for it to be a reasonable plan. Is it not amazing that when we offer a plan that is reasonable, doable, it will be a plan that will provide benefits for every senior? Let me talk about Kentucky. There are 615,000 Medicare beneficiaries that will receive help with this. Fifty percent of those in Kentucky are at 175 percent of the poverty level or below, which means they will be subsidized. It means $459 million for Kentucky.”