Lawmakers OK Prescription Drug Bill

My Way ^ | 11/15/03 | Mark Sherman

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

WASHINGTON (AP) - Republican congressional leaders said they sealed a tentative agreement Saturday on a new prescription drug benefit for the nation's seniors, the largest expansion in Medicare's history.

"We have come to an agreement on principle," Senate Majority Bill Frist said.

Talks that lasted most of the day smoothed over the last remaining wrinkles in the bill, including a proposal to have traditional Medicare compete directly with new private insurance plans and a plan to encourage employers to maintain drug coverage for retirees, officials said.

The agreement ends months of negotiations over the drug benefit and a broad reworking of the Medicare program to give private insurers a new large role in health care for 40 million older and disabled Americans.

It must win approval of House and Senate negotiators, many of whom have been meeting for months in search of a compromise. The legislation would then go to the full House and Senate, where tough questions await.

[EGPWS]

"We have come to an agreement on principle,"

Well, lets wait and see where "Republican principle" takes us...left or right?

[GrandmaPatriot]

Noooooooooooooooooo

[meenie]

Lately I have become suspicious of Republican principles. They don't seem to have many.

[RJCogburn]

Republican congressional leaders said they sealed a tentative agreement Saturday on a new prescription drug benefit for the nation's seniors, the largest expansion in Medicare's history.

Bad news. We gotta count on the Dems to save us from this monstrosity. How's that for irony?

[Dan from Michigan]

So while I pay $400 a month for my own stuff, seniors, the HIGHEST incomes in this country get a free ride?

[GatekeeperBookman]

That's good thinking-some occassions will arise when that IS our option.


The war has many facets,

http://aztlan.net/ Look at your enemy

[Carry_Okie]

Oh crap.

[Dan from Michigan]

That's not counting the current defecit spending because of Iraq.

We can't afford this.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Are you kidding? The only difference between the GOP and the Rats is how fast the train will be going when it hits the wall.

[Feiny]

My prediction is that Bush will sign any prescription drug bill that manages to pass. Government had no right to get into the health care business. They did & drove up the cost of medical care for everyone.

sigh...if we only had Hillary Care......end sarcasm.

[tbird5]

I'm so glad...NOT!

[Djarum]

"We have come to an agreement on principle," Senate Majority Bill Frist said.

Hahahaha! That's a keeper.

[sigarms]

This is blatant and shameless vote-pandering.

Rove and Bush calculate that an expansion of Medicare--to include a prescription drug benefit for seniors--will provide the worthwhile benefit of winning over a significant portion of AARP voting block, at the expense of compromising the "limited government" principles of the conservative minority.

So much for principles. It's all about the votes. Same thing with the "I will sign an extension of the '94 Crime Bill, if it comes to my desk", and the sickening courtship with illegal aliens, and a host of other cases where the President has abdicated his responsibility to defend and protect the Constitution.

Phooey. I'm pulling my hair out over this. If it weren't for the brilliant foreign policy and the trust that President Bush has earned in that area, I CERTAINLY would not be voting for him in the primaries or in the general election.

[isthisnickcool]

Crazy. Nutz. Insane. More socialism. More robbery from those that produce and more welfare to those that don't. And some that "don't" have some major cash. IE: Seniors.

It's amazing how many people will take freebies they don't deserve and/or don't need. Sickening. But what's worse is the idiots in Congress that are willing to pass such laws in exchange for votes. Better not PO the AARP eh? Screw the AARP!

[RightWinger]

...is how fast the train will be going when it hits the wall.

I believe I've fallen and can't get up.

[glock rocks]

CRAP! Who needs liberals?

These great society reproblicans can drive us into the rocks all by themselves.

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

Well, there goes the prescription drug insurance promised to me on retirement for the wife and I.

The wife and I both are on several prescription drugs and have been for years.

I have no doubt my old company will now drop the program like a hot potato. Thanks to these bumbling idiotic politicians we will now have to pay more for less and some frigging faceless bureaucrat will make us jump to their tune now.

At times such as now I have a real and visceral hatred of these damned politico arse holes. They destroy peoples lives for feel good wrong headed reasons.

I can assure you, the poor through welfare, SSI, and Medicaid have some of the best medical and prescription drug programs available.

The vast majority of the retired have a prescription drug insurance as we have. And now for being somewhat successful earlier in life, we are now being hung out to dry by a bunch of b@$t@rds in power who don't have a clue.

[Lunatic Fringe]

Oh good... I was just thinking that the government doesn't take NEARLY enough out of my paycheck!

[FreeReign]

...the largest expansion in Medicare's history.

Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security ARE already the lion's share of the spending problem. To that we now add another entitlement.