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January 12, 2007
Friday, January 12, 2007
Seniors Advocate: House Medicare Vote “Triumph of the Public Interest over the Special Interest”
The following statement was issued today by Edward J. Coyle, Executive Director of the Alliance for Retired Americans, in reaction to the U.S. House voting 255-170 for H.R. 4, legislation which would require Medicare to use its bulk purchasing power to negotiate lower drug prices:
“Today’s vote in the U.S. House of Representatives is the triumph of the public interest over the special interest. It is the first step toward making prescription drugs more affordable for our nation’s retirees.
Americans pay the highest drug prices in the world. It is an absolute outrage that the CEOs of the big drug and insurance companies are spending millions to try to preserve the windfall profits they have reaped since the new Medicare law took effect.
President Bush is showing his true colors in threatening to veto this badly-needed, common sense bill. He is sadly out of touch with the daily struggles facing America’s seniors. I call on him to rescind his unwise veto threat.
I congratulate Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Representatives John Dingell, Charles Rangel, and Pete Stark for their strong leadership on this bill. They have kept their commitment to the American people to begin to change the way Washington does business.
In addition to standing up to the White House veto threat, Congress must also begin taking the next steps toward improving Medicare, including closing the so-called ‘donut hole’ coverage gap, which forces 7 million seniors to pay full price for their prescriptions while still paying their monthly premiums.”
Contact:
Michael Buckley, 202-637-5190
Amy Buffenbarger,
202-637-5178
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The Alliance for Retired Americans is a
grassroots organization representing more than
3 million retirees and seniors nationwide.
Headquartered in Washington, DC, the
Alliance’s mission is to advance public
policy that protects the health and economic
security of older Americans by teaching seniors
how to make a difference through activism.
Learn more about the Alliance and its work at
www.retiredamericans.org.