Political Quotes

“I want to thank my friend. I was there and, as the gentleman knows, the next day we worked all day long and all night long; and we finally passed out a bill which only provides coverage for a person who has a prescription drug need of $400 a month. The bill that finally passed out, the Republicans passed it out, would only provide coverage for 4 rac{1}{2} months out of the 12-month year; and yet the poor senior would have to pay premiums every month, even during the months when they were receiving no coverage at all and, as the gentleman knows, they tell us that the premium would be on average $35 a month, but there is no guarantee that it would not be $65 or $85 or $125 a month. So it is quite shameful, I think, that at a time when nearly every person in this Chamber, as they go home and talk to their constituents, say the right words, and they tell their seniors that they want to get them a prescription drug benefit and they want it to be affordable and they want it to provide choice, but when it comes to making the tough decisions here in this Chamber, they simply make the wrong decision. Now, the Democratic proposal would add a voluntary drug benefit to Medicare. Why is that important? I know the gentleman from New Jersey and the gentleman from Maine have been talking about the fact that every citizen in every other country on Earth pays less for their prescription medications than does the American citizen.”