NOW Vows Effort to Reverse Medicare Reduction

November 25, 2003

"Members of Congress will have a lot of explaining to do when seniors see how expensive and inadequate the so-called drug benefit really is," said National Organization for Women (NOW) President Kim Gandy. Gandy's comments came in the wake of today's Senate vote approving what many call a Medicare reduction and prescription drug industry benefit bill and predicted that once seniors realize the effects of the legislation, they will revolt. "Seniors will feel betrayed as private insurers and drug companies raise their prices for health care without any oversight from congress or this administration."

This controversial legislation, H.R. 1, the so-called Medicare Prescription Drug and Modernization Act of 2003, narrowly passed the House 220 to 215 on Saturday, with 16 Democrats voting for the bill and 25 Republicans voting against. On Monday the Senate voted 70 to 29 to end a filibuster—led by Massachusetts Senators Ted Kennedy and John Kerry—and failed to hold the bill accountable to the budget agreement by a 61 to 39 vote.

"Failure to hold the line on the filibuster paved the way for the eventual passage of the grossly flawed bill," Gandy said, "which we will work to reverse before its full provisions take effect in 2006." The bill was enacted today by a 54 to 44 margin when 11 Democrats joined 43 republicans to approve the $400 billion deal. Democratic senators voting for the bill included John Breaux (La.), Max Baucus (Mont.), Thomas Carper (Del.), Kent Conrad and Byron Dorgan (both N.D.), Dianne Feinstein (Calif.), Mary Landrieu (La.), Blanche Lincoln (Ark.), Zell Miller (Ga.), Ben Nelson (Neb.) and Ron Wyden (Ore.).

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