“President Bush’s signing of the so-called Medicare Prescription Drug Bill today marks a sad day for our seniors. This is a bill written by the big drug manufacturers to benefit the big drug manufacturers.  It actually contains language that explicitly prohibits the government from negotiating lower drug costs, and puts the prescription drug industry in the hands of the private sector, that will put its profit margin above the best interests of our seniors.  

“As we begin to sift through the numerous stipulations set forth in the 681-page Medicare bill -- that my colleagues and I had less than 24 hours to review before voting on it  -- we continue to discover new, incredulous provisions that are downright senseless. We have found a tiny provision in the bill that actually prohibits Medicare beneficiaries from purchasing private insurance that would help pay for gaps in Medicare coverage, as they are currently allowed to do for Medicare Part A and B coverage! And they call this a senior’s bill?

“The executive director of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, the nation’s second largest senior advocacy group, said this bill is flat-out ‘Medicare Fraud.’ 

“When I ran for Congress, I pledged  I would do all I could to provide a meaningful, cost-effective prescription drug plan. The legislation signed into law today does not do that.  Rest assured, I will not stop fighting until seniors can walk into the pharmacy of their choice, pull out their Medicare card, and receive the same benefit that they do when they go to the doctor or hospital.”