Gerald Kleczka: “we are told by my Republican colleagues that this is a powerful benefit, that this is an historic opportunity. Well…”

“we are told by my Republican colleagues that this is a powerful benefit, that this is an historic opportunity. Well, nothing could be further from the truth. For you see, Mr. Speaker, 2 years ago to the day an identical bill passed this House of Representatives. And why did it pass 2 years ago at this time and why is this bill on the floor here today? Because 4 months from now we will have the November congressional elections. And you see, the American public wants a drug benefit. And they do not want to give one, but they keep bringing up this fig leaf 4 months, every 2 years before the Congressional elections. But what is their bill all about? This is not a Medicare benefit like hospitals and physicians. This is a subsidy to insurance companies. We were told 2 years ago when this same bill was up that no insurance companies are going to sell these policies. For everyone who buys a policy will have a claim against the policy, and it is going to be identical to the failed experiment that the gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas) called Medicare Choice. Two million people have been canceled by insurance companies from that plan, and the same is going to happen here. But for a senior with drug costs of $3,800 a year, the Republican plan will give them almost nothing. After they are charged a premium, a deductible, they pay $150 for the first $1,000 of costs. They pay one-half or $500 for the next thousand.…”