White House Defends Medicare Law Despite Higher Price Tag | NYT

[Ediacara]

White House Defends Medicare Law Despite Higher Price Tag
By ROBERT PEAR

Published: January 30, 2004

WASHINGTON, Jan. 30 — The White House strongly defended the new Medicare law offering prescription drug benefits and private health plans to the elderly today, despite projections that it might cost at least $530 billion over 10 years, or one-third more than the price tag used when Congress passed the legislation two months ago.

Advertisement

"The Medicare reform we did is a good reform," President Bush said in a brief exchange with reporters. "It fulfills a long-standing promise to our seniors."

Mr. Bush did not directly answer a question on whether he was worried about the reaction of conservative Republicans who voted for the legislation only after assurances that it would cost no more than $400 billion over the next decade. But Mr. Bush insisted that the budget he will submit to Congress on Monday will fulfill his promise of cutting the federal deficit in half in five years.

More at the New York Times

[tkulesa]

1. Yeah right.

This fool can spend billions more dollars we don't have, and somehow he'll keep promising (with a straight face) that he's going to cut the deficit in half in 5 years.

What a lying sack of Sh*t.

[jean]

2. shouldn't there be a rule

that if they eff the math up so profoundly the bill is null and void and they have to start over?

[AZCat]

4. You forget they're using the new math...

Good things = Dubya's responsible

Bad things = Clinton's fault

This fuss over details like $530 Billion (new)
- 400 Billion (old)
= IT'S BILL's FAULT!

[pinto]

3. and the Medicare pork barrel bill was good for?

even Republicans are getting the drift on this one.

[indepat]

5. Of course the WH would defend it: pork for corporations and drug

companies including no negotiating for lower prices (locks in astronomical profits for drug companies from US seniors).