Gerald Kleczka: “if the Republicans love Medicare so much, why did they not put this drug benefit in the Medicare program like the…”

“if the Republicans love Medicare so much, why did they not put this drug benefit in the Medicare program like the hospitalization program and a physician program? Unless that is called tough love. Because under the bill, seniors, grandma and grandpa have to go out and buy a policy outside of Medicare. Mr. Speaker, there has been a lot of talk about if we pass this motion we are going to bankrupt the program. There is a lot of talk about this is the vision for Medicare. Well, let me remind my colleagues that this bill passed by a vote of 215 to 214, one slim vote. In fact, the rollcall was held open for almost an hour so the Republican leadership could twist some arms around here, make some promises, and finally get the bill to pass. What we are asking today is to change two sections of this 700-page bill. Two years ago, we had a hearing on this bill before the Committee on Ways and Means, and before the hearing were some insurance association people and we asked them point-blank, do you think your members are going to sell a drug-only policy to the seniors of the country? And they said, are you nuts? Before we get the premium in the bank from the policy, the senior who just bought the policy will have filed three claims. There is no way it is going to work. So what we are asking for today is for a fallback position. If you are so sure it is going to work, the fallback position will never be in effect.”