McConnell: Don’t Roll Back this Remarkable Success
April 18, 2007
‘Republicans strongly oppose this effort to tamper with a program that’s working extraordinarily well by every conceivable measure’
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell spoke on the Senate floor Wednesday to oppose cloture on S. 3 the Medicare Drug bill.
“I rise in opposition to the effort to roll back the remarkable success of a prescription drug benefit that American seniors have been waiting for for decades and which millions of them now enjoy.
“Republicans strongly oppose this effort to tamper with a program that’s working extraordinarily well by every conceivable measure. And in standing against those who would end it, we’re standing up for the 32 million seniors in this country who enthusiastically support this terrific, life-changing benefit.
“But before I explain our reasons, let me thank Senator Grassley, who has been an extraordinarily effective leader on the Finance Committee and been right in the middle of this issue going back to its formative stages in 2003 and has made a very articulate and persuasive case today for not tampering with this extraordinarily successful program.
“Having said that, let’s get right to the point: Republicans are on the side of seniors on this issue. There’s simply no doubt about this.
“The only thing in question is why Democrats would even think about meddling with a drug benefit that’s got:
“92 percent coverage
“80 percent satisfaction
“And which costs more than 30 percent — more than 30 percent — less than even the most daring bean counters estimated when we passed the bill.
“Seniors who’ve signed up for this benefit are saving an average of $1,200 a year on the cost of medicine.
“And taxpayers are saving billions — two hundred sixty-five billion over the next ten years.
“Now, I ask everyone — anyone — in this chamber: When was the last time a government program came in under budget?
“For those of you who may be watching on C-SPAN, that quietness was the sound of crickets and tumbleweed you just heard echoing from the Senate Chamber — because I doubt a single government program in modern history, let alone one this big and this important, has ever come in under budget.
“So it’s a mystery, a mystery, why our Democrat friends would want to tamper with this Medicare benefit.
“If it isn’t broke, why break it?
“Now, the refrain we keep hearing is that we need competition, that drug prices will be even lower if we allow the government to bargain for lower prices.
“Unfortunately, that’s just not true. The impartial Congressional Budget Office just sent us a letter saying there would be zero – that is zero -- savings if government stepped in and interfered with the current system. They sent the same letter to a Republican-controlled Congress last year.
“And the reason is simple: prices have plummeted under Part D precisely because we’ve let private drug benefit managers — who already negotiate — into a government drug program for the first time.
“They do the negotiating for us — and it’s a good thing, because they’ve got much more leverage than we do. The three biggest drug negotiators, in fact, have four times as many members as the entire Medicare population.
“Let me say that again. The three biggest drug negotiators have four times as many members as the entire Medicare population.
“Look, you don’t have to be Milton Friedman to see that bigger negotiators are going to get better prices. And that’s what we’ve got right now with these drug benefit managers.
“Yet the other side wants to send the government to the negotiating table — a population with one fourth the negotiating power. That’s like sending a little league pitcher up to the big leagues and handing him the ball for the big game. We’ve already got aces on the mound. And they don’t need any relief.
“The point here is that Republicans favor negotiation and competition, and Democrats oppose it. Just look at the numbers. They speak for themselves. There’s no way we could have achieved these savings if market competition and negotiation weren’t at play.
“Secretary Leavitt said it pretty clearly yesterday. ‘There is rigorous, aggressive negotiation taking place now,’ he said. And that’s why we’re seeing such success, and satisfaction, with this program.
“But let’s assume just for the sake of argument that price isn’t an issue. What about choice?
“Here too, Republicans are on the side of seniors.
“The VA model the Democrats are for some reason enamored with is inflexible and restrictive.
“It excludes three out of four drugs available through Part D, including some of the most innovative treatments for arthritis, high cholesterol, breast cancer, and other ailments.
“Veterans who want cutting-edge drugs like Crestor or Revlimid have to go elsewhere, or they have to go without.
“And the choice that more than one million of them have already made is to join the Part D program — more than one third of them have signed up for the program over the last few years.
“So let’s sum it up: this seniors prescription drug benefit is popular, it’s reaching millions of seniors, it’s saving us billions of dollars, and veterans who’ve been using the program that Democrats want us to imitate are signing up for this other one in droves.
“No wonder the former Democratic Majority Leader, Senator Daschle and President Clinton’s Health Secretary were all for creating a program like Part D before suddenly our friends on the other side decided to oppose it.
“This debate is hardly worth having. The facts are plain. Tens of millions of seniors in this country finally have a great drug benefit — cheap, comprehensive, easy-to-use. And Republicans aren’t going to let anybody fool with it.
“I strongly oppose cloture on the motion to proceed and I urge my colleagues to vote similarly.”
####
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell spoke on the Senate floor Wednesday to oppose cloture on S. 3 the Medicare Drug bill.
“I rise in opposition to the effort to roll back the remarkable success of a prescription drug benefit that American seniors have been waiting for for decades and which millions of them now enjoy.
“Republicans strongly oppose this effort to tamper with a program that’s working extraordinarily well by every conceivable measure. And in standing against those who would end it, we’re standing up for the 32 million seniors in this country who enthusiastically support this terrific, life-changing benefit.
“But before I explain our reasons, let me thank Senator Grassley, who has been an extraordinarily effective leader on the Finance Committee and been right in the middle of this issue going back to its formative stages in 2003 and has made a very articulate and persuasive case today for not tampering with this extraordinarily successful program.
“Having said that, let’s get right to the point: Republicans are on the side of seniors on this issue. There’s simply no doubt about this.
“The only thing in question is why Democrats would even think about meddling with a drug benefit that’s got:
“92 percent coverage
“80 percent satisfaction
“And which costs more than 30 percent — more than 30 percent — less than even the most daring bean counters estimated when we passed the bill.
“Seniors who’ve signed up for this benefit are saving an average of $1,200 a year on the cost of medicine.
“And taxpayers are saving billions — two hundred sixty-five billion over the next ten years.
“Now, I ask everyone — anyone — in this chamber: When was the last time a government program came in under budget?
“For those of you who may be watching on C-SPAN, that quietness was the sound of crickets and tumbleweed you just heard echoing from the Senate Chamber — because I doubt a single government program in modern history, let alone one this big and this important, has ever come in under budget.
“So it’s a mystery, a mystery, why our Democrat friends would want to tamper with this Medicare benefit.
“If it isn’t broke, why break it?
“Now, the refrain we keep hearing is that we need competition, that drug prices will be even lower if we allow the government to bargain for lower prices.
“Unfortunately, that’s just not true. The impartial Congressional Budget Office just sent us a letter saying there would be zero – that is zero -- savings if government stepped in and interfered with the current system. They sent the same letter to a Republican-controlled Congress last year.
“And the reason is simple: prices have plummeted under Part D precisely because we’ve let private drug benefit managers — who already negotiate — into a government drug program for the first time.
“They do the negotiating for us — and it’s a good thing, because they’ve got much more leverage than we do. The three biggest drug negotiators, in fact, have four times as many members as the entire Medicare population.
“Let me say that again. The three biggest drug negotiators have four times as many members as the entire Medicare population.
“Look, you don’t have to be Milton Friedman to see that bigger negotiators are going to get better prices. And that’s what we’ve got right now with these drug benefit managers.
“Yet the other side wants to send the government to the negotiating table — a population with one fourth the negotiating power. That’s like sending a little league pitcher up to the big leagues and handing him the ball for the big game. We’ve already got aces on the mound. And they don’t need any relief.
“The point here is that Republicans favor negotiation and competition, and Democrats oppose it. Just look at the numbers. They speak for themselves. There’s no way we could have achieved these savings if market competition and negotiation weren’t at play.
“Secretary Leavitt said it pretty clearly yesterday. ‘There is rigorous, aggressive negotiation taking place now,’ he said. And that’s why we’re seeing such success, and satisfaction, with this program.
“But let’s assume just for the sake of argument that price isn’t an issue. What about choice?
“Here too, Republicans are on the side of seniors.
“The VA model the Democrats are for some reason enamored with is inflexible and restrictive.
“It excludes three out of four drugs available through Part D, including some of the most innovative treatments for arthritis, high cholesterol, breast cancer, and other ailments.
“Veterans who want cutting-edge drugs like Crestor or Revlimid have to go elsewhere, or they have to go without.
“And the choice that more than one million of them have already made is to join the Part D program — more than one third of them have signed up for the program over the last few years.
“So let’s sum it up: this seniors prescription drug benefit is popular, it’s reaching millions of seniors, it’s saving us billions of dollars, and veterans who’ve been using the program that Democrats want us to imitate are signing up for this other one in droves.
“No wonder the former Democratic Majority Leader, Senator Daschle and President Clinton’s Health Secretary were all for creating a program like Part D before suddenly our friends on the other side decided to oppose it.
“This debate is hardly worth having. The facts are plain. Tens of millions of seniors in this country finally have a great drug benefit — cheap, comprehensive, easy-to-use. And Republicans aren’t going to let anybody fool with it.
“I strongly oppose cloture on the motion to proceed and I urge my colleagues to vote similarly.”
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