The New York Times Got it Right Again

THE NEW YORK TIMES GOT IT RIGHT AGAIN -- (House of Representatives - April 05, 2006)

(Ms. FOXX asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)

Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, last week I sat on this House floor and did something I never thought I would do: I praised the New York Times for accurately reporting the facts about the success of the new Medicare prescription drug program.

They say lightening never strikes the same place twice, so you can imagine my surprise when the New York Times ran an April 3 editorial that said aboout Medicare part D: ``Complaints and call waiting times are diminishing, and many uninsured patients are clearly saving money on their drug purchases.''

It is refreshing that the mainstream media is finally beginning to acknowledge that millions of seniors are saving thousands of dollars a year on their prescriptions under Medicare part D. This benefit has already lowered average monthly premiums from $37 to $25, and those seniors with limited incomes will incur nearly no expenses at all.

It is a real shame that my Democratic colleagues refuse to admit that this benefit is making a positive difference. Instead, they prefer to bash the program and scare seniors into thinking it is ``confusing.'' The Main Street press is finally starting to pay attention to millions of our seniors' success stories. It is about time that Democrats remove their ear plugs and start paying attention, too.

http://thomas.loc.gov