THE PRESIDENT: I want to thank the members from both the
House and the Senate, both of the political parties, for coming to
discuss an incredibly important issue, and that is
Medicare. We had good discussions last year, and now it's
time to get something done.
We need a comprehensive reform plan that includes prescription
drugs for every senior. And the will of the folks around
this table is to work together to do just that, is to make sure our
seniors have got the capacity to have a -- to purchase prescription
drugs. That's what we all want.
And I believe that given the right focus and the right efforts, we
can achieve that objective. And while we're doing so, we
want Medicare to be modernized. We want it to be a system
that is relevant for -- for seniors today and for
tomorrow. And it's not. It's a system -- it's old
and it's tired, and it needs to be -- it needs to be looked at in a way
that recognizes we've made a commitment to our country's
seniors. But we want the commitment to work.
And so, the members around this table have all come back to town
and said, let's get something done. And I'm so thrilled to
have them here, and I appreciate the spirit. And it's going
to require that kind of spirit to get it done.
I'm looking forward to my speech tomorrow night. I will
mention Medicare in my speech. We need to make it work, we
need for there to be a prescription drug plan in the program.
Thank you all for coming.
Q Do you think it will be likely in an
election year, sir? Is it likely in an election year, sir?
THE PRESIDENT: You know, that's why you run for
office. Election year or no election year, it's time to get
something done. And this is not an issue for the
faint-hearted, but it's the right thing to do. And members
around here understand it.