Deborah Pryce

Ms. PRYCE of Ohio

Ms. PRYCE of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this rule and the underlying legislation. I rise in sadness and regret. The behavior of the soldiers charged with misconduct and abuses of prisoners in Iraq, to use the President's word, is abhorrent. The Iraqi people are beginning new lives of liberty and freedom. They are just beginning to shake off the dread of years of torture and abuse. They are only just beginning to sleep soundly, without fear of midnight kidnappings. They are only just beginning to express their views on politics and social issues. Our whole country is appalled and disgusted by the reports of this insane abuse. I send my deepest sympathy and regret to these Iraqis who, in such a tender moment, are forced to see scenes of abuse that I can only imagine bring to the surface old fears, old nightmares, and old wounds. The actions of a few are sure to have long-term implications of mistrust in the Middle East. Our message is clear: we are devastated. We went into Iraq because Americans reject evil and embrace liberty. The heart of American values is founded in respect for one another, in fairness and a love for freedom. Today we should ask ourselves what can we do to rebuild the trust and confidence in the hearts and minds of those we want to help. Unlike 20 years of unavenged, unstoppable evil at the hands of Saddam Hussein, this abuse will not be tolerated. It will not be brushed over. It will not be excused. I join my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives and condemn these acts and support immediate, meticulous investigations into the abuse reports, full disclosure of abuses committed, and justice served to those men and women responsible. Every day the men and women of our Armed Forces are putting their lives on the line because they believe in their mission and they are devoted to their duty. They also have been hurt by these senseless, shameful acts. We cannot falter in our support for thousands of troops who now more than ever require reenforcement, support and prayers from their government, their friends, and their families at home. I would ask the American people, Iraqis who have tasted liberty, and freedom-loving people across the world to renounce the reprehensible deeds of a few and look forward. I ask them to renew their support in the brave efforts to free Iraq and our efforts in the war on terrorism, and for the men and women of our Armed Forces who sacrifice daily in defense of honor, justice, and democracy. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this rule and the very important legislation it enforces.

Ms. PRYCE of Ohio

Ms. PRYCE of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Sandra J. Anderson, a partner in the Columbus law office of Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP. On Friday, April 23, 2004, Ms. Anderson was presented with the Justice Alice Robie Resnick Award of Distinction. This honor is the Ohio Women's Bar Association's highest award for professional excellence, and is bestowed annually on a deserving attorney who exhibits leadership in the areas of advancing the status and interests of women and improving the legal profession in the State of Ohio. In addition to her litigation practice, Ms. Anderson is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and a faculty member of the National Institute for Trial Advocacy. She has also served as an Adjunct Professor for the Ohio State University College of Law and Capital University Law School, and is a frequent speaker in continuing legal education programs. I am proud that citizens of Central Ohio continue to excel among their peers and commend Ms. Anderson for her dedication to our community and her commitment to advancing the status of women within the legal profession.

Ms. PRYCE of Ohio

Ms. PRYCE of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to extend my congratulations to Dr. Jerauld D. Ferritto, Jr., a successful and respected podiatrist from my district, upon the completion of his tenure as President of the American Podiatric Medical Association. Following in the footsteps of his father, Dr. Ferritto began his podiatric career at the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, in 1972. In 1977 he established a practice in Grove City, Ohio. Dr. Ferritto's unwavering integrity, trailblazing spirit, and energetic quest to expand recognition for the field of podiatric medicine serve as a role model for countless young practitioners of that fine profession. His credentials include Board Certification by the American Board of Podiatric Surgery and by the American Board of Podiatric Orthopedics and Primary Podiatric Medicine. He is generous in his giving, and has served the profession in a myriad of ways, including tenure on the Council on Podiatric Medical Education and Medicare's Region V Carrier Advisory Committee. It is my honor to represent a constituent whose leadership helps ensure the continued mobility and independence of our citizens through the delivery of medically necessary and appropriate foot and ankle care.

Ms. PRYCE of Ohio

Ms. PRYCE of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor today to speak on behalf of Ohio's seniors and America's seniors. Mr. Speaker, about 14 million low-income seniors, 438,000 of them in Ohio alone, will now be receiving their medications for a mere $2 to $5. They understand that this new law, the new law about Medicare reform and prescription drugs, is a step in the right direction. The countless baby boomers who devote portions of their monthly paycheck to help buy grandma and grandpa's medicine, they understand that this expansion of Medicare is important. They know that when they are able to devote a little less money to prescription medicines for their parents, they might be able to devote a little more of that money to their kids' college tuition. The many older Americans who have experienced a tragic illness that requires a litany of medications, they understand the peace of mind that this law provides to the catastrophic coverage. Because of this law, the cost of their many, many medicines is kept at a minimum, instead of spiraling off into infinity. The millions of seniors who live in rural areas across America and doctors who serve them, they understand the benefits of this new law, especially the increased financial assistance to rural providers. The hundreds of patient organizations who endorsed and support this new law, groups like AARP, the American Medical Association and the Alzheimer's Association, they understand that the law represents a good first step in improving the lives of millions and millions of patients. I could go on and on, showing the countless benefits of this new law. Instead, I will boil it down into the simplest of terms: while this plan may not provide the entire solution for every senior's particular medical and financial problem, it does provide some solutions to the substantial number of seniors who formerly were choosing between food and medicine, gasoline and medicine, heating fuel and medicine. Those choices were untenable. The law is not 100 percent perfect, but it is 100 percent more than what seniors had before, which was nothing. Unfortunately, there are some who do not share the same mind set. Indeed, there are small group of obstructionists who seek to mislead seniors about this new law, instead of informing them about how to use it to their advantage. Their goal is to scare, instead of to educate; and their tactics aim to thwart instead of to improve. It is really sad. A prime example is the left-leaning Families USA, who have taken their MediScare campaign across the country. In fact, they are scheduled to be in my home State of Ohio during the coming weeks. To the seniors in my home State and to the seniors across the country who will be subject to the half-truths that Families USA and their allies will be pushing, I will say, beware of those who peddle fear and distrust. The flashy videos and the shiny brochures that these groups will provide will do nothing but tell you what is wrong with this new law. They will tear it down and trash the very thing that seniors have been pleading Congress to do for years, add prescription drug coverage to Medicare. They will not bat an eyelash nor turn the slightest shade of red while they claim there is absolutely nothing good about this new law. Mr. Speaker, I have too much faith in Ohio's seniors. I know that they will not be used as pawns in the politicization of a new law of the land. I know that our seniors will take the time to learn more about this law, and they will like what they see. They will understand that Congress acted to improve the quality of their lives. This is a good first step. They will understand that groups who scare them about what a law does not do are not helpful nor productive, and that the people who instruct them about what a law does are actually trying to make a difference in their lives. Mr. Speaker, I want to be to Ohio seniors one of those who helps them, helps them understand what this law does do for them. I want to be part of that productive group, that group that knows that progress comes in incremental steps and understands that obstructing and thwarting accomplishes nothing, that group that looks for solutions, not partisan points. Passing a Medicare drug plan and getting it signed into law with President Bush's cooperation is finally a step forward for this Nation's seniors. Let us not ever step back.

Ms. PRYCE of Ohio

Ms. PRYCE of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, as we consider the budget today, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle will talk about their budget for America, which includes repealing tax cuts we fought so hard for. But their quote-unquote repeal is nothing more than job-killing tax increases on American workers. Period. Their alleged ``plan'' would blow America's economic engine. It would be like hitching a heavy trailer to the back of a motor scooter. I cannot think of a better way to turn it into a dead weight, a useless vehicle that would take us nowhere. Job-destroying tax increases are like a trailer full of bricks that will stop this economy dead in its tracks. Mr. Speaker, let us pass a budget that strengthens our national defense, a budget that grows our economy, a budget that creates jobs, a budget that will get rid of Washington waste and excessive spending. We have that opportunity today, Mr. Speaker. Let us take advantage of it.

Ms. PRYCE of Ohio

Ms. PRYCE of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I stand before Members to strongly urge my colleagues to support this resolution for freedom and democracy in Iraq. Life under Hussein's ruthless regime was unlike anything we have ever experienced. His cronies, in order to get information out of men, would rape their wives and their sisters and mothers. Women in Iraq frequently lost their husbands to ``the law,'' never knowing what happened to them, where they went or why they were arrested. These same women, forbidden to go to work to support their families, were left to starvation. The Iraqi women under Saddam Hussein's regime were someone's mothers, wives, and sisters, and they suffered tremendously. I led a women's delegation to Iraq and heard these atrocities firsthand from the women who now are free. They no longer dread the strong arm of Saddam Hussein's injustice. Coalition forces are now protecting the newly acquired rights of all Iraqis. I learned of the story of these two women who were protesting. Mr. Speaker, 2 years ago they would have been executed for protesting. They were protesting to get the rights of women included in the Iraqi constitution. One of these women was waving her husband's death certificate saying, we have not waited all these years to be denied freedoms. A reporter, an Islamic reporter, went up to ask, Are you Sunni or Shiite? These women said, We may be one of each, but it is none of your business, we are Iraqis now. That is what this is all about. This is what freedom stands for. This is what it means to two women, one who lost her husband and had no way of knowing what happened to him. This is what we are celebrating today. This is what has been accomplished by our Armed Forces, by the will of this administration. Saddam Hussein, the ruthless murderer, is now in jail. He will be tried by his own people in his own country, and he will get his just rewards, and these two women, despite the fear and dread and horror of their past, will live in freedom. We should be very happy today.

Ms. PRYCE of Ohio

Ms. PRYCE of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor pro golfer Kirk Triplett for introducing a winning cause to his professional golf game: helping find permanent homes for foster children as he competes on the 2004 PGA Tour. Working with the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, Triplett, at each tournament, will prominently display a photo of a local child on his golf bag. The public stage provided by the Tour will enable Triplett to portray each child's story to the media, spectators, and viewers at home. In addition to his support for the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, Kirk and his wife, Cathi, have organized their own foundation, known as Fore Adoption, which provides funding for financially challenged parents seeking to adopt. Kirk will also host the Dave Thomas Desert Classic this month, an event which will help to raise money to support the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. Having adopted two children themselves, Kirk and Cathi take a personal interest in helping to connect foster children with quality parents across America. No experience is more rewarding than providing a child with a set of loving arms and giving them the opportunity to fulfill their dreams. I commend Kirk for his dedication and commitment to foster children in this country, and wish him the best of luck this year on the PGA Tour.

Ms. PRYCE of Ohio

Ms. PRYCE of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California, the chairman of the Committee on Rules (Mr. Dreier).

Ms. PRYCE of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Lincoln Diaz-Balart), my friend and colleague from our Committee on Rules.

Ms. PRYCE of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 463 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Ms. PRYCE of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to my colleague and friend, the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Slaughter), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 463 is a standard rule waiving all points of order against the conference report to accompany H.R. 1, the Prescription Drug and Medicare Modernization Act of 2003. The rule also waives all points of order against its consideration. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in full support of the rule and of the underlying bill. I would like to thank Chairman Thomas and Chairman Tauzin for their outstanding coordination, their remarkable leadership, and the inspiring vision that they have provided on this critical legislation. The conferees have all worked extraordinarily hard to produce the most sweeping Medicare bill in generations. Since 1965, Medicare has provided a guarantee of health care coverage for most all Americans. Stability, longevity, and integrity have been the hallmarks of this program, offering the promise of a secure retirement. But a lot has changed since 1965. Our investment in research and medicine has yielded us advanced medications, therapies, and technology that have paved the way for our seniors to live longer, healthier lives. Unfortunately, Medicare has not changed with these medical advancements. The most obvious shortcoming is the lack of prescription drug coverage, the best tool medicine has to offer. Before us today is an opportunity to pass landmark legislation that addresses these shortcomings and finally propels the program of Medicare into the 21st century, most notably by covering these prescription drugs. If we do not act and pass this plan before us today, the future of our seniors will be in doubt, with their happy and healthy lives uncertain. And if we do not act today, the fate of Medicare will be certain: bankruptcy. So today we will accomplish two long overdue goals. First, we will strengthen Medicare to save it for future seniors; and, second, we will enhance the program by providing much-needed prescription drug coverage, bringing this 1965 health care program into the 21st century. And to those who are telling us to slow down, I say seniors have waited too long. This House has passed a Medicare prescription drug plan three times since Republicans have controlled Congress, each time only to be scuttled. Today we will finally end the denial of benefits to our seniors and end the delay. Folks in my district tell me that they cannot go another year without the help of Medicare prescription drug coverage. They want us to speed up the process. They tell me that when you are sick and you are elderly, Medicare is not just health care; it is peace of mind. Well, we listened and we acted, producing this historic package. Our seniors are not the only ones who have spoken out in support of this plan. Let me tell you, some very knowledgeable folks on the front lines of health care delivery, people who understand the needs of our seniors and the problems with Medicare, have made their support for this bill very clear. Allow me to name just a few: the American Association of Retired Persons, the AARP, the largest senior group in the Nation representing 35 million seniors, card-carrying, dues-paying, voting seniors; the American Medical Association; the American Hospitals Association; employers Coalition on Medicare; the Alzheimer's Association; American Society of Radiology and Oncology; Rural Hospital Coalition; National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization; the College of Obstetrics and Gynecology; American Society of Anesthesiologists; American Physical Therapy Association; pathologists; nurse practitioners. The list goes on and on. It includes hundreds and hundreds of supporters. They back this plan because they know how important and long overdue it is, plain and simple. There are many reasons to vote for this package, but I want to call attention to a few that are significant. First of all, this prescription drug plan is voluntary, universal, and guaranteed. Period. If you are over 65 and you qualify for Medicare, you qualify for this benefit. If you want it, you can have it. If you do not, you do not have to take it. With this benefit, 40 million seniors will begin receiving significant savings on their medications. To begin with, we offer immediate savings with the prescription drug discount card that will offer up to 25 percent in savings early next year. This drug discount card is a tremendous first step while the larger benefit is implemented. After the drug is fully phased in in 2006 it will work like this: After a $250 deductible, Medicare will pay 75 percent of seniors' drug cost up to $2,250 a year. Medicare will then provide catastrophic protection, giving seniors 95 percent coverage for out-of-pocket drug costs. That is beyond $3,600. On average this reduces seniors' cost of medication by 50 percent. This package also switches the focus of health care from reactive disease treatment to proactive disease prevention. The old saying ``an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure'' could not be more appropriate in this instance. Gone are the days of waiting until the symptoms are so obvious and the disease is so advanced that the only options are expensive hospital stays and surgeries. Twenty-first century medicine can prevent, preempt, and predict illnesses through advanced screenings and innovative tests. In many cases taking a pill is all that it takes to prevent a chronic disease from becoming a life-threatening illness. Medicare will cover the preventative medications that keep our seniors out of the hospitals and off of the operating tables. And with this revolutionary shift in focus, Medicare will cover the $20 prescription before the $6,000 surgery even becomes necessary. That is not only real savings for the American taxpayer, but it is a real life savings for our seniors. This landmark bill improves health care for our seniors, especially those who need it most, through significantly increased assistance for so-called ``disproportionate share hospitals.'' Such hospitals, as the term implies, care for a disproportionate share of low-income patients, and the last thing they need is funding cuts. Under this plan the hospitals will see a significant increase and allow them to care for these low-income families and seniors. In addition to its strong commitment to our lower-income seniors in general, the plan is particularly good news for women. Since women make up a majority of Medicare beneficiaries and tend to suffer more from chronic illnesses, this landmark improvement in the Medicare system will radically change their lives for better. Half of the senior women who are under Medicare will receive complete drug coverage, an extraordinary step forward for these women who are suffering unnecessarily high drug cost burdens even as we speak. The disease management aspect of this bill will help prevent the progression of the chronic illnesses from which a majority of senior women suffer. Clearly, this plan means a better life for women and for all of our seniors, but it also will lessen the burden upon the Medicare program by creating a health savings account. Health savings accounts allow forward-thinking and penny-wise workers to start saving for their future medical costs tax free. These accounts are allowed to grow without burdensome taxation, providing all Americans with the opportunity to save for their own future medical expenses. Who can argue with the promotion of these strong values, values like personal responsibility, savings, financial discipline? These things have been gone from our health care delivery system for decades now. It is time we bring them back. And who can argue against a voluntary program that relieves the financial burden of Medicare and the taxpayers who fund it? Finally, this package includes a provision that I have championed for many years. Under the current system, anticancer drugs are only covered if they are injected or intravenously delivered. But today with the new advances in cancer therapy, many anticancer drugs can be taken orally, and, therefore, are not covered by Medicare. This plan begins to change that finally. The plan will deliver the comforting pain-relieving and cancer-curing drugs that these patients so desperately need to deal with their illnesses. They need these medications now, and they are going to start to get them now. Mr. Speaker, there is a value attached to this legislation that resonates not only among our seniors but to all Americans. The value is the freedom to choose the plan that works best for someone in their own situation. Each senior is different with different needs and different family situations. With this plan these differences can, for the first time, be honored. Seniors who are happy with traditional Medicare in their current coverage are free to stay where they are, but if they choose, seniors will have many options available to them and they will be able to pick the coverage that best meets their health care needs. If they are not content with the current coverage, they can choose from other plans to save on their medications and preventative care. This is a win-win solution, a commonsense approach. So today the vote is simple. It is either ``yes'' in favor of millions of seniors who plead for us to pass this bill, or it is another ``no,'' another ``no'' in favor of politics, another ``no'' in favor of partisanship, another ``no'' with an eye toward the upcoming election. In short, another ``no'' against American senior citizens and against the future viability of the Medicare system upon which they rely. Members can choose to listen to the seniors who are asking them to put partisanship, politics and election strategy aside, or they can oppose this bill. But to those of my colleagues who plan to vote ``no,'' I would ask: How is this package not an improvement for our seniors who have no coverage and are struggling to pay for their medications? Why would they rather give our seniors nothing at all than give them this plan that will help them? How will they explain that to future generations, their children, their grandchildren why they did not support bringing Medicare up to speed with their generation and their needs? I remember the opponents of the tremendously successful welfare reform of 1996. They predicted doomsday scenarios, millions of women and children out on the streets starving. The reality is that 7 years later, the welfare rolls have dropped from 14 million to 5 million. The reality is that welfare reform made the American Dream possible for millions of Americans who were previously trapped in generational cycles of poverty and helplessness. These same naysayers are making the same claims about this Medicare plan today. I say to my friends, their shouts, their cries, their failed predictions were myths in 1996 and they are myths today. To those who plan to vote against strengthening America, I urge them to be bold, to exercise leadership and show courage by propelling America's health care system into the 21st Century. Vote for this bill. If the Members think this bill does good but does not go far enough to help our seniors, then I ask them to support it and let us work together to improve it in the future. Do not let the perfect become enemy of the very good. Our seniors deserve our support, all of our support. I urge this Congress to pass the underlying bill, but first of all, let us pass this rule. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. PRYCE of Ohio

Ms. PRYCE of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. PRYCE of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve my time.

Ms. PRYCE of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 459 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Ms. PRYCE of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Slaughter), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Committee on Rules met and passed this resolution waiving clause 6(a) of rule XIII, requiring a two-thirds vote to consider a rule on the same day it is reported from the Committee on Rules against certain resolutions reported from the Committee on Rules. The resolution applies the waiver to a special rule reported on or before the legislative day of Friday, November 21, 2003, providing for consideration or disposition of the conference report to accompany the bill, H.R. 1, the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003. Mr. Speaker, as my colleagues are aware, the conference committee has completed its work and the conference report has been filed. In the spirit of bipartisanship to accommodate the request of the minority, the Committee on Rules met this morning, as opposed to last night, to give members of the minority an opportunity to come to the Committee on Rules at a convenient time and so that the witnesses could come to the Committee on Rules at a convenient time to talk about this extraordinarily important conference report which delivers to America's seniors a voluntary, universal, and guaranteed prescription drug benefit. This morning, the Committee on Rules received testimony for more than 4 hours on this conference report from many Members in anticipation of reporting a rule to bring this very important and historic legislation before the House. Adoption of this same-day rule and a subsequent rule will simply allow us to consider the historic prescription drug and Medicare modernization plan today, hopefully moving us one day closer to sending this measure to the President of the United States for his signature and sending a strong message to the American people that this Congress is committed to ensuring our seniors that they have access to affordable medications that will keep them healthy and active. Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to support this rule and allow the House to complete its work on this landmark legislation. America's seniors have waited far too long. It is time for us to act. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. PRYCE of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier), chairman of the Committee on Rules. (Mr. DREIER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Ms. PRYCE of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. This bill has been online on the Committee on Ways and Means Web site and the Committee on Rules Web site since last night. This is no secret to anyone, least of all the American public, and anyone is free to look it up and read it at their leisure. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Linder), my friend and colleague of the Committee on Rules.

Ms. PRYCE of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from the great State of Texas (Mr. Sessions), my friend and colleague from the Committee on Rules.

Ms. PRYCE of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I must take 1 minute to say that the gentleman has misspoken. Our most needy seniors, the seniors who need it most will be getting help with their prescription drugs, the best tool medicine has to offer, by next spring if we pass this bill. But if we delay, if we continue to defeat our efforts, the Republican efforts to bring prescription drugs to the American people, we will never provide them help. We have to start and we have to pass this bill today. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Gingrey), someone who should know a lot about this.

Ms. PRYCE of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Baird) for yielding. This was just put in front of me. I would defer to the chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means or a member of the Committee on Ways and Means because this is their jurisdiction and certainly not the jurisdiction of the Committee on Rules.

Ms. PRYCE of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I will continue to reserve my time. We do not have any more speakers at this point.

Ms. PRYCE of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. And in light of the comments of the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cooper), the last speaker, I would say that every major hospital association in this Nation is on board with this legislation. He should be supportive of it. Not only the hospital associations, but the American Association of Retired Persons, the AARP, who speaks for every senior in this country. They are on board. The AIDS Institute, the Alzheimer's Association, the Coalition for Medicare Choices, Hepatitis C Global Foundation, International Patient Advocacy Association, Kidney Cancer Association, National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, the National Council on the Aging, the Seniors Coalition, United Seniors International Association, We Are Family Foundation, Academy of Family Practice Residence Directors, Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care, Alliance to Improve Medicare, American Academy of Dermatology Association, American Academy of Family Practitioners and Physicians, American Academy of Home Care Physicians, American Academy of Neurology, Ophthalmology, Osteopathy, Pharmaceutical Physicians. Mr. Speaker, this list is pages and pages long. Every significant health care provider, every significant person in this country who is touched by health care and feels the pain of seniors and understands their health care needs is on board with this legislation. Anyone who cares about the future of health care for seniors should be on board as well. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. PRYCE of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Ross) says that the AARP does not speak for seniors of America? The AARP represents 35 million seniors, dues-paying, card-carrying voting seniors. These seniors care what we do, and they are watching what we do, and we better do right by them. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. PRYCE of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I would just like to remind the gentleman that last year's Democrat prescription drug bill cost $1 trillion, $1 trillion, almost three times what this bill costs. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. PRYCE of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I remind my colleagues that this body is about to embark on a monumental endeavor. We are about to consider the most significant benefit America's seniors have ever seen since the creation of the Medicare program nearly 40 years ago. We are about to give seniors the best tool that medicine has to offer, prescription drugs. A tool that they have been denied, that our government has not supplied to them. We are about to give that to them, Mr. Speaker. That is not even to mention the most significant and deliberative reform that Medicare has ever seen. I urge my colleagues to support American seniors, to support the future of the Medicare program, and to support this Congress in one of the most promising endeavors I have ever been a part of in my years in this esteemed body. Join me in taking a bold step closer to consideration of this extraordinary legislation. I ask the Democrats, stop defeating these attempts, stop delaying help to our seniors, and stop destroying their trust in their government. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.