More expensive senior drug benefit proposed. (Marketplace).(in Congress)(Brief Article)

Chemical Market Reporter, March, 2002

IN A REBUFF to the White House, congressional Republicans plan to propose a prescription drug benefit for seniors that would be almost 60 percent more expensive than the amount proposed by President George W. Bush, a key lawmaker said last week. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Thomas of California says Republicans "are looking at a number, very similar, slightly higher than the number we included in our budget, which was $300 billion over 10 years." That amount would be significantly higher than the President's proposal in his fiscal 2003 budget.

"We need to start a good prescription drug program that we can currently afford and we can see how we can grow it into a quality program," Rep. Thomas says. Democrats want to...

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