Pelosi: Democrats Keep Fighting for Real Prescription Drug Benefit

July 14, 2003
Contact: Brendan Daly/Jennifer Crider

Washington, D.C. -- House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi today released the following statement on the Democratic Motion to Instruct Conferees on the Medicare Prescription Drug Bill. The motion, offered by Representatives Lincoln Davis (D-TN) and Jim Davis (D-FL), instructs conferees to reject the House provision turning Medicare into a voucher program and accept the Senate provision requiring a federal "fallback" in areas where no private insurance provider offers a prescription drug plan.

“Seniors deserve real prescription drug coverage that they can count on, not just another empty promise. Seniors know and trust Medicare. We should strengthen it, not unravel it with the Republicans' voucher plan.

“Democrats will fight at every opportunity to give seniors what they have long waited for -- a prescription drug benefit under Medicare that is affordable, guaranteed, and defined -- and to reject the Republican plan to privatize Medicare.

“By rejecting the Democrats' motion, Republicans proved once again that they favor special interests over the public interest.”

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