Congressman Dennis Cardoza
18th Congressional District of California

"My constituents sent me an unmistakable message: protect the coverage Medicare provides and enact a comprehensive, affordable prescription drug benefit," said Cardoza, who personally called dozens of seniors throughout his district to listen to their views. "But this bill, even with its massive costs, would undermine Medicare as we know it and leave millions of seniors behind. We worked hard to fix several provisions in the 1,100-page final bill, and although they were improved, it was rushed to the floor for a vote and fell far short of addressing my concerns.

"Ultimately, the risk of future cuts to Medicare beneficiaries was too great a risk to take in exchange for the inadequate, unreliable prescription drug benefit contained in the legislation. While I fully support the need to strengthen Medicare and provide a comprehensive drug benefit, I am not willing to jeopardize the coverage and protections seniors currently enjoy under Medicare for a risky overhaul of the program that would likely leave them with less – and possibly no coverage at all.

"The bill is a lot like a car with a Corvette body and a Corvair frame – it looks great on the outside, but if you take it on the road, it falls apart. We can’t afford to jeopardize Medicare, which has served seniors well for decades. We need to go back to the drawing board and produce a more meaningful and fiscally responsible prescription drug plan that benefits all seniors."

Among the reasons Cardoza did not support the bill:

▪ It contains a "donut hole" – a very large gap in coverage for millions of seniors;

▪ It does not allow Americans to import drugs from countries where prices are lower;

▪ Eventually, seniors would only be eligible for drug coverage through private insurance companies that will have wide latitude in setting premiums and deductibles;

▪ Millions of retirees who have prescription drug coverage from their former employers would lose benefits that they worked a lifetime to earn;

▪ More than 157 organizations opposed the bill, including the Alliance For Retired Americans, the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, and the Center for Aging Policy.