June 12,2008

Grassley: Democratic Leaders’ Failed Medicare Votes Wastes Time, Money

M E M O R A N D U M

To: Reporters and Editors
Re: failed Medicare vote
Da: Thursday, June 12, 2008

Senator Chuck Grassley, Ranking Member of the Committee on Finance, made the commentbelow about the Senate vote on a Medicare bill (S.3101) this afternoon and the refusal of the Senateleadership to allow a vote on an alternative measure (S.3118):

“The Democratic leaders’ bill failed. They knew it would. The Democratic leaders wouldn’teven allow a Senate vote on an alternative that could be signed into law immediately. Their politicalexercise wasted time and taxpayers’ money. You might as well take a match to a pile of tax dollars.Now, Congress has 18 days left to make sure doctors serving Medicare patients don’t get hit witha draconian cut that would put them in the position of not being able to serve seniors. Lawmakers need to work together to fix the Medicare physician payment problem, address Medicare Advantage problems, and make sure we don’t create new problems for Medicare’s already troubled fiscal condition by overreaching. I hope that this failed vote will get us to the negotiating table.”