WASHINGTON – As this congressional session nears its close, First District Congressman Paul Ryan is continuing to advocate for a prescription drug benefit to help seniors in need.

"Although the days are running short for this Congress, there is still time to act on this critical issue," said Ryan. "There is more common ground on the prescription drug issue than people realize, but in order to move forward we need bipartisan cooperation."

"The leadership of both the House and Senate has called on the Clinton Administration to put aside partisan maneuvering and work with us here and now to provide real relief to seniors struggling to afford the high cost of prescription drugs. I wholeheartedly support this goal," said Ryan.

Congressman Ryan was referring to a letter to President Clinton by House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert and Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott. In their appeal to the President, they proposed establishing agreement on five reforms: safeguarding the Medicare surplus through a "lockbox" reform, providing prescription drug help for needy seniors, locking away $40 billion for prescription drug coverage, using $21 billion for Medicare provider relief, and allowing seniors to buy lower-priced drugs in countries like Canada.

"The [congressional] leadership's proposal sets the stage for good-faith cooperation," said Ryan. "Even if disagreements remain on some of the larger policy questions, Congress and the Administration should be able to find some agreement on the realistic reforms we've put on the table."

Click here to view a copy of Speaker Hastert and Majority Leader Lott's letter to the President.