Senate Proceeding 07-15-08 on Jul 15th, 2008 :: 3:26:50 to 3:33:30
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3:22:12 to 3:26:50( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Byron Dorgan

3:26:39 to 3:26:50( Edit History Discussion )

Byron Dorgan: if we don't fix w that. this bill addresses part of that. that's why this bill is so critically important. i hope that we will have a resounding vote overriding the president's veto at 6:00. the presiding

3:26:50 to 3:27:02( Edit History Discussion )

Jon Kyl: officer: the senator's time has expired. mr. kyl: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from arizona. mr. kyl: if senator grassley arrives, ive will defer to him. let me make some commentsme

3:26:50 to 3:33:30( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Jon Kyl

3:27:02 to 3:27:13( Edit History Discussion )

Jon Kyl: here.er it is distressing that the effect of this bill has been misrepresented as it has. there have been wild claims thatla it has to do with killing medica re, punishing p doctors, it has to

3:27:13 to 3:27:26( Edit History Discussion )

Jon Kyl: do with hurting america's seniors. this is not the language of a reasoned debate inre the united states senate. the bill has nothing to do with any of those things and all of my colleagues know that.

3:27:26 to 3:27:40( Edit History Discussion )

Jon Kyl: let me describe why we are where we are today. and just take a minute to remind everyone of the promise thaf t we made to america's seniors five years ago. the 2003 medicare modernization act achieved two

3:27:40 to 3:27:52( Edit History Discussion )

Jon Kyl: very important goals. the first was to provide comprehensive drug coverage, prescription drug coverage. a very important benefit for america's seniors. and, secondly, to expand private health plan

3:27:52 to 3:28:06( Edit History Discussion )

Jon Kyl: choices similar to the options available to members of congress and other federal employees. we wanted america's seniors, medicare patients,me to havee the same kind of private health insurance optio

3:28:06 to 3:28:18( Edit History Discussion )

Jon Kyl: ns for medicare that all of us have. and today as a result of this plan, somewhere in theth neighborhood of one-fourth of america' s seniors have taken advantage of this private insurance alternative

3:28:18 to 3:28:34( Edit History Discussion )

Jon Kyl: to traditional medicare. now, i know from the beginning there were a lot of people, particularly on the other side of the aisle that didn't like that. they wanted one size fits all. one program. republicans

3:28:34 to 3:28:45( Edit History Discussion )

Jon Kyl: said we need more choices here.~ and seniors have been very happy with prescription drug benefits and with those choices. the problem with this bill is that it cuts both the choices for america's seniors

3:28:45 to 3:28:59( Edit History Discussion )

Jon Kyl: and negatively impacts the prescription drug coverage. that's why members on this side of the aisle have said they would like to see an opportunity to amend the bill, to try to fix the bill, to have

3:28:59 to 3:29:15( Edit History Discussion )

Jon Kyl: a bipartisan bill instead. but, no, we were jammed not once, not twice, but three times. take it or leave it. it's the partisan approach. despite the fact that the chairman and ranking member of the committee

3:29:15 to 3:29:30( Edit History Discussion )

Jon Kyl: had negotiated in good faith a bipartisan approach, which i supported, and many on our side -- i think all all -- nonetheless we had to revert to a strictly partisan approach. that's wha t this thing

3:29:30 to 3:29:41( Edit History Discussion )

Jon Kyl: was all about. it was not about covering the physicians to make sure they didn't take a pay cut. i doubt there is any senator that doesn't support the 1.1% increase in physician reimbursement increase

3:29:41 to 3:29:56( Edit History Discussion )

Jon Kyl: for physicians whoic treat medicare patients. we all support that. it was in the grassley proposal. it was in the baucus proposal. it was in the bipartisan grassley and baucus proposal. so, this

3:29:56 to 3:30:07( Edit History Discussion )

Jon Kyl: was never about that. none of the republicans ever opposed providing the physicians their update. what it had to do mostly with was an attempt that has been undertaken here for many years to undercut

3:30:07 to 3:30:19( Edit History Discussion )

Jon Kyl: the private insurance part of medicare that many on the other side of the aisle have never liked. and it's one of the signature achievements of the bush administration. and it's no wonder that the president

3:30:19 to 3:30:31( Edit History Discussion )

Jon Kyl: vetoed the bill because of the fact that that was hurt. first of all, i would note that according to the congressional budget office, as a result of this bill, 2.3 million seniors will be removed from

3:30:31 to 3:30:47( Edit History Discussion )

Jon Kyl: their private coverage option under medicare. that's one of the effects of this bill. so i can honestly say instead of all the scare tactics that you've heard, voting for this bill, voting to override

3:30:47 to 3:31:04( Edit History Discussion )

Jon Kyl: the president's veto will result, according to nonpartisan congressional budget office, in the removal of 2.3 million american seniors from this health care option. that is not a good result. and here's what

3:31:04 to 3:31:15( Edit History Discussion )

Jon Kyl: the president's veto message partially said today. "the provisions that would enable the standards of effective drugs would effectively end the negotiations between medicare drug plans and pharmaceutical

3:31:15 to 3:31:30( Edit History Discussion )

Jon Kyl: manufacturers for those classes. if as is likely, it results in the number of increases in particular classes, it will lead to increased beneficiary premiums and copayments, higher drug prices and lower

3:31:30 to 3:31:41( Edit History Discussion )

Jon Kyl: drug rebates." that's the second pernicious effect of this bill. it will undermine medicare prescription drug plan's ability to negotiate good drug prices for seniors. i know that some on the other side

3:31:41 to 3:31:54( Edit History Discussion )

Jon Kyl: of the aisle were always skeptical of the ability to bring down drug prices. but, in fact, the medicare t part-d has reduced drug prices precisely because of this competition in the market. now,

3:31:54 to 3:32:10( Edit History Discussion )

Jon Kyl: this bill partially eliminates that competition. these are the reasons why some of us oppose the bill. they are good and legitimate reasons, and i believe the president was correct to veto the bill because

3:32:10 to 3:32:23( Edit History Discussion )

Jon Kyl: of these provisions. now, five years after the medicare passage, we're rewinding the clock, chipping away at the very plan choices and the prescription drug drug choices that seniors asked congress

3:32:23 to 3:32:36( Edit History Discussion )

Jon Kyl: to provide. this bill reduces access, benefits and choice for medicare beneficiaries. and, in con khraourbgs mr. president, it was a very flawed process. as we know, there was an w attempt at a bipartisan

3:32:36 to 3:32:50( Edit History Discussion )

Jon Kyl: solution. there are 51 democrats and 49 republicans. you think republicans could have a say in writing the legislation, but, no, that was not to be. we were required to deal with the take-it-or leave-it proposal

3:32:50 to 3:33:07( Edit History Discussion )

Jon Kyl: of the majority. and, twice the majority walked away from these bipartisan negotiations that i talked about before. when we tried to suggest at a minimum that we should extend the existing law so

3:33:07 to 3:33:17( Edit History Discussion )

Jon Kyl: that doctors would not see the reduction in their payments, we were thaoeld it was an exercise -- a phony exercise. it was in fact a goofaith effort on our part to make sure patients would be protected.

3:33:17 to 3:33:30( Edit History Discussion )

Jon Kyl: i supported the need for a positive physician update. and i know the physicians in arizona know that i mean that when i say that. i've led the fight for this in past years. but i'm strongly dispointed

3:33:30 to 3:33:46( Edit History Discussion )

Debbie Stabenow: that the senate was -- disappointed that the senate was blocked from a bipartisan solution and regret that seniors, as a result, are going to suffer as a result of this legislation's adoption.

3:33:30 to 3:34:49( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Debbie Stabenow