Gerald Kleczka: “Mr. Speaker, the Republican drug bill is a cruel hoax and an empty promise to our senior citizens. We are going to end…”

“Mr. Speaker, the Republican drug bill is a cruel hoax and an empty promise to our senior citizens. We are going to end up passing their bill today, and we are going to go home for the 4th of July break. I challenge the senior citizens in their districts to ask a few questions. My friends here is a copy of the bill, I challenge constituents to say, Mr. Republican Congressman, where in the bill is the premium that I am going to be charged? They are going to say well, it is not in there. I will be darned. Mr. Republican Congressman, what are the drugs covered? Where is the listing of the drugs? It is not in here. Well, Mr. Republican Congressman, how about the deductibles and copays; is that in there? No, that is not in there either. The constituent will say, what kind of bill is this? They will say we are going to hire a new bureaucrat for $140,000 a year who will work with the insurance companies to make those decisions. Our bill is voluntary, defines a premium of $25 a month. In the Republican bill insurance companies will decide that with this new bureaucrat. That is a drug benefit?”