MEDICARE/Prescription drugs— The Senate passed the prescription drug conference report. The legislation will subsidize employment based plans up to 28 percent of the costs of enrollees between $250 and $5,000 in spending. Employment based plans get no help for catastrophic costs. Please see the fact sheet (below right) that outlines just how bad the conference report is. Senator Feinstein (D-CA) and Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) voted wrong on the issue. In the House, Rep. David Wu (D-OR) voted wrong. All other West Coast Democrats were “right” on the issue. A big thank you to all ILWU members who called their Members of Congress. The vote was close and would not have been so close without grassroots participation.
Pelosi speaks out against GOP tactics
On December 8, 2003, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) took to the floor of the House to decry the mechanics that allowed the Medicare Prescription drug bill to pass. It’s pretty self explanatory – in short, the vote on final passage was kept open for three hours while President Bush and others strong armed Members of Congress with threats and intimidation in order to give Bush a legislative victory. Her remarks were both eloquent and to the point. Take a read and make up your own mind about the fairness of a Republican controlled Congress.
Privileged resolution
Whereas on November 22nd, the Republican Leadership held open the vote on roll call No. 669 on H.R. 1, the Prescription Drug Conference Report, for nearly three hours, the longest period of time in the history of electronic voting in the U.S. House of Representatives;
Whereas the normal period of time for a recorded vote is 15 minutes, and the Speaker of the House reiterated that policy on January 7, 2003 saying “The Chair wishes to enunciate a clear policy with respect to the conduct of electronic votes . . . The Chair announced, and then strictly enforced, a policy of closing electronic votes as soon as possible after the guaranteed period of 15 minutes”, and in addition the Speaker pro tempore on November 22nd announced prior to the vote on Prescription Drugs that it would be a 15-minute vote;
Whereas the amount of time for the vote on H.R. 1 went far beyond anytime considered reasonable under established House practices and customs, and was a deliberate attempt to undermine the will of the House;
Whereas the opponents of H.R. 1, both Republicans and Democrats, were on the prevailing side for more than two and one-half hours and proponents never once held the lead during this period of time, and the sole purpose of holding this vote open was to reverse the position that a majority of the House of Representatives had already taken;
Whereas, according to press reports, a Member of Congress who is retiring was told on the House floor during this extended vote that “business interests would give his son (who seeks to replace him) $100,000 in return for his father’s vote. When he still declined, fellow Republican House members told him they would make sure Brad Smith never came to Congress”, and such an act is in violation of Section 201 of Title 18 of the United States Code, which prohibits bribery of public officials;
Whereas these actions impugn the dignity and integrity of House proceedings, bring dishonor on Members of Congress, and were a gross violation of the rights of Members who opposed this legislation: Therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House denounces this action in the strongest terms possible, rejects the practice of holding votes open beyond a reasonable period of time for the sole purpose of circumventing the will of the House, and directs the Speaker to take such steps as necessary to prevent any further abuse.
New Medicare bill fact sheet: A bad deal for America’s seniors and a bad deal for Medicare
The Bush Medicare bill is a bad deal for America’s seniors and a bad deal for Medicare. It does almost nothing to lower drug prices. It was written by and for the big drug and insurance companies. Millions of seniors will face higher Medicare premiums unless they leave their doctor and join an HMO, and millions will have to pay more for their medications. Democrats know that America’s seniors deserve better.
Under this bill:
• Drug prices stay high. The final bill doesn’t allow Medicare to negotiate better prescription drug prices, like Medicaid and the VA program do. And, it blocks reimportation of American-made drugs from other countries at lower prices
• Seniors are coerced into HMOs and will pay increased Medicare premiums. The new “premium support” provisions result in higher Medicare premiums for up to 7 million seniors if they don’t give up their doctor and join an HMO. In addition, the plan squanders $14 billion by overpaying HMOs, giving them an unfair advantage.
• Millions of seniors will pay more for their medications—up to one quarter of Medicare beneficiaries. Under this plan, 2.7 million seniors will lose their retiree drug coverage, and up to 6.4 million low-income seniors will have to pay more or lose access to coverage for the drugs they need.
• Millions of seniors go without coverage for part of the year. There is a $2,850 gap in coverage that hurts middle class beneficiaries and leaves millions of seniors without coverage for part of the year—even though they have to pay premiums all year.
• In his speech today, the President mentioned Hugh Iverson, who has $400 per month worth of drug costs. What the President didn’t mention is that Mr. Iverson gets no assistance with his drug costs for 7 months out of the year, even though he has to pay premiums all year long.
• $6 billion needed for retiree coverage is spent on tax breaks for healthy and wealthy. This bill squanders $6 billion on tax shelters for the wealthy on “Health Savings Accounts”—money that should be used to prevent loss of retiree coverage or improve the benefit.
