ASHINGTON, Sept. 7 — A Senate Republican ally of President Bush's said today that he would introduce a bill that would let the administration promote a Medicare prescription drug card program that has been temporarily blocked by a federal judge.
The senator, Bill Frist of Tennessee, said he supported Mr. Bush's plan to give what amounts to a government seal of approval to the discount cards. The plan, federal officials say, will help older Americans afford essential but expensive medicines as Congress grapples with adding prescription drug coverage to Medicare.
An injunction filed on Thursday by Judge Paul Friedman of United States District Court would keep the program from starting for several months. Drugstore chains filed a lawsuit in July, arguing that the plan was "clandestine and unlawful" because federal officials did not plan to pay for the discounts.
The court said the administration lacked the legal authority to begin the plan. Officials were set to promote the cards and other private programs available to Medicare recipients in a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign this fall.