CBS POLITICS
The Real Battle Begins: Now that House and Senate leaders have named the members who will try to hash out an agreement on a Medicare prescription drug benefit, foes of the legislation are beginning to ramp up their opposition.
The House-Senate conference committee that will work on the final bill meets for the first time this afternoon to bridge the significant gaps between each chamber?s bill. Later, President Bush meets with Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., and Sen. John Breaux, D-La., among others, to urge the negotiators get moving.
Meantime, opponents are gearing up for a fight. House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, D-Md., has organized town hall meetings for this Saturday to rail against the bill. Seventy-five House Democrats will hold court in their districts to scream that "Republicans are breaking promises and failing seniors" with the House version of the bill.
Democrats complain the House-passed bill "would privatize Medicare, force seniors to leave trusted doctors and hospitals, leave a huge gap in coverage, fail to lower drug prices, and provide no guaranteed benefit or premium."
On the Senate side, it seems there?s a bit of infighting going on within the Republican Party on the prescription drug issue. The Hill newspaper reports that the number three Republican, GOP Conference Chair Rick Santorum, R-Pa., is upset with Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, and his deal-making with Democrats on the bill.
Apparently, Grassley negotiated a provision with Sens. Jon Corzine, D-N.J., Max Baucus, D-Mont., and Arlen Specter, R-Pa., that would funnel money to various state prescription drug programs. And while Pennsylvania is one of the states benefiting, Santorum is upset that he wasn't consulted and wound up voting against the overall bill because the provision was in the measure.
"We could be opening up a virtual Pandora's box of funding, yes, to my state and to others, but I think frankly it is not good policy,? Santorum said on the Senate floor.
Grassley told The Hill he made the deal because he was looking to "get other votes" for the bill. Santorum responded: "He was worried that it would be defeated. It got [76] votes."
cbsnews.com |
