House, Senate each pass versions of prescription drug benefit program

On June 26 (and into the morning of June 27), the House of Representatives had a long night, complete with debating, haggling, pleading, pressuring and eventually pushing the Medicare Prescription Drug and Modernization Act (H.R. 1) through by a one-vote margin. Two conservatives changed their vote from "no" to "aye," while another simply voted "present."

President George W. Bush's political support from the elderly weighed heavily on this bill, and his congressional allies made sure he had it. The voting time period, which normally lasts around 15 minutes, was open for nearly an hour, allowing the pressure on the floor to mount. Rumors swirled the following day that several Bush backers in Congress put enormous pressure on teetering voters, eventually causing the two mind-changes.

The Senate passed a similar bill through on the same night, although its version was more generous than the House's. Sen. Ted Kennedy (D.-Mass.) led the liberals in support of the bill, and, combined with the backing of Bush's minions, it passed easily.

Members from the House and Senate now have to decide on a compromise between the two versions of the bill and submit it to be signed by President Bush. The final version is expected to look more like the House version, since House conservatives won't let anything less pass through with the necessary majority.

Regardless of how the package ends up, this bill that forces healthy taxpayers to buy drugs for the unhealthy will almost certainly balloon the welfare state of the United States.

Copyright Human Events Publishing, Inc. Jul 14, 2003
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