OFFICE OF THE MAJORITY LEADER

TRANSCRIPT

Medicare Bill's Outrage
November 21, 2003

MR. HOYER: I ASK UNANIMOUS CONSENT TO REVISE AND EXTEND MY REMARKS. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE: WITHOUT OBJECTION. MR. HOYER: MR. SPEAKER, I RISE IN OPPOSITION TO THIS RULE, AND I INVITE THE 41 MEMBERS OF THIS SIDE OF THE AISLE WHO WROTE A LETTER JUST A FEW DAYS AGO, THOSE 41 MEMBERS, ALL REPUBLICANS, SAID TOP SPEAKER HASTERT AND MAJORITY LEADER DELAY THAT THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES THAT THIS CONGRESS OR ANY CONGRESS WILL CONSIDER. AND GIVE US AT LEAST, THEY SAID, THREE DAYS TO CONSIDER THIS BILL. THIS BILL IS OVER 1,100 PAGES IN LENGTH. IT WILL AFFECT NOT ONLY THE 40 MILLION AMERICANS WHO ARE ELIGIBLE FOR MEDICARE, BUT IT WILL ALSO AFFECT THEIR FAMILIES , THEIR CHILDREN, THEIR SONS AND DAUGHTERS WHO ARE CONFIDENT THAT THIS COUNTRY WILL PROVIDE FOR HEALTH CARE SECURITY FOR SENIORS. I INVITE THOSE 41 MEMBERS -- THIS IS ABOUT THE PROCESS, THIS HAS BEEN A TERRIBLE PROCESS. A SHAMEFUL PROCESS. SPEAKER HASTERT, AN HONORABLE MAN, APPOINTED MR. DINGELL, THE DEAN OF THIS HOUSE, SERVING HERE SINCE 1955, ONE OF THE MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE PEOPLE -- NOT DEMOCRATS OR REPUBLICAN -- MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE AMERICAN WITH RESPECT TO HEALTH CARE AND MEDICARE AND SOCIAL SECURITY, AND THEN HE APPOINTED ONE OF THE MOST SENIOR MEMBERS OF THIS HOUSE, CHARLES RANGEL OF NEW YORK, TO THIS CONFERENCE, AND MR. BERRY, THE ONLY PHARMACIST THAT SERVES IN THIS HOUSE. SHAMEFULLY, SHAMEFULLY THEY WERE NEITHER INVITED NOR ALLOWED TO COME TO THE TABLE TO DISCUSS THIS BILL. I INVITE THE 41 SIGNERS OF THIS LETTER, IF THEY MEANT WHAT THEY SAID IN THIS LETTER TO VOTE NO ON THIS RULE. TO VOTE NO ON THIS RULE SO THAT WE CAN, IN FACT, LOOK AT IT CLOSELY. MAY I HAVE ONE ADDITIONAL MINUTE? MS. SLAUGHTER: I YIELD AN ADDITIONAL MINUTE. MR. HOYER: I THANK THE GENTLELADY. JUST TWO MORE DAYS. THIS BILL, 1,100 PAGES IN LENGTH WAS PUT ON THE WEB JUST LAST AFTERNOON, LESS THAN -- JUST APPROXIMATELY 24 HOURS AGO. I SAY TO THE SIGNATURORS ON THIS LETTER, IF YOU -- SIGNATORIES ON THIS LETTER, IF YOU MEANT WHAT YOU SAID, IF YOU BELIEVE THE PROCESSES OF THIS HOUSE OUGHT TO BE FOLLOWED, IF YOU BELIEVE THIS ISSUE IS IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING, TO READ THE BILL, TO DIGEST ITS CONSEQUENCES, TO UNDERSTAND THE ADVERSE CONSEQUENCES THAT IT WILL HAVE ON THE POOR, ON THOSE WHO ARE LEFT BEHIND IN MEDICARE WHEN THE H.S.A.'S TAKE THE HEALTHIEST AND WEALTHIEST OUT OF THE SYSTEM, AND FORCE PREMIUMS HIGHER FOR THOSE WHO CAN LEAST AFFORD IT. READ THIS BILL, UNDERSTAND THIS BILL. YOU HAVE NOT DONE SO. SOME OF YOUR MOST RESPECTED COLLEAGUES SIGNED THIS LETTER, REPUBLICANS ALL. I ASK EVERY DEMOCRAT TO VOTE AGAINST THIS RULE, TO GIVE YOURSELVES AN YOUR CONSTITUENTS FURTHER TIME TO CONSIDER THIS BILL. I ASK THE REPUBLICANS HONOR THEIR LETTER, HON YOUR THEIR RULES. VOTE NO ON THIS ONE.