Press Stakeout Following Meeting on Medicare with President George W. Bush

HEADLINE: PRESS STAKEOUT FOLLOWING MEETING ON MEDICARE WITH PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH
 
PARTICIPANTS: SECRETARY TOMMY THOMPSON, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES; SENATOR BILL FRIST (R-TN); SENATOR CHARLES GRASSLEY (R-IA); SENATOR MAX BAUCUS (D-MT); SENATOR JOHN BREAUX (D-LA); REPRESENTATIVE WILLIAM THOMAS (R-CA); REPRESENTATIVE BILLY TAUZIN (R-LA)

BODY:
(Note: Fed in progress from source.)

SEC. THOMPSON: (In progress) -- urging the members of the conference committee to work hard. We also discussed the opportunities for our staffs to get together, those from the White House and Health and Human Services, as well as those in the Republican and Democrat caucuses on both the House and the Senate, and we're going to be working over the month of August.

We also were talking about the tremendous progress we've already made. We have made some progress as far as contracting out as well as reforming the system. And that is hopefully going to be taken up tomorrow; is going to be agreed upon on a bipartisan basis, I might add. And that's a very positive sign. It's a strong indication that the conferees are working extremely hard.

The president wanted to thank them, as I do, for their hard work and their cooperation, and we hope to be able to get this product done as soon as possible. And we're going to be working as hard as we possibly can to make that happen.

SEN. GRASSLEY: We'll show some progress at a meeting tomorrow. We are committed to working hard during the month of August, making really important decisions early in September. This must be done early this fall.

And I think that we've appreciated the president's participation. More importantly, we stressed the importance of the president's participation over the next few weeks, and most importantly, the importance of bipartisanship to get things done through the Senate. We've been very successful working that way in the Senate thus far, and we'll have to continue that to have success. But it will work out.

SEN. BAUCUS: The one clear message of this meeting, which the president stated and everyone picked up on, is the importance of us working together, both parties, on a nonpartisan basis to get prescription drug benefit legislation on the president's desk at the appropriate time later on this year. So, the theme was bipartisanship, working together. And that's going to be the test here. And I believe very strongly that the more we do, in fact, work together -- and we will work together -- the more likely it is that we're going to get a broad vote in both bodies, a bipartisan vote in both bodies, and that's going to -- key from the message the president gave to us: Work together, get this done on a bipartisan basis.

REP. THOMAS: As the chairman of the conference, I think at some point, we really do need to introduce reality. I was very pleased that the president brought the entire conference together and urged us to move as quickly as possible.

It becomes much more difficult to make something happen when people who are on the conference sign letter saying that this is or that or six items or five items or four items must be delivered or they will not accept the work product, and then attend meetings and say, "We have to do everything bipartisan." The first thing you have to understand is, the American people, and especially our seniors, have waited long enough for this work product. If philosophies are going to stand in the way, they won't get it. You have to practice bipartisanship all the time, not just in front of the cameras.

(Laughter; cross talk.)

SEN. BREAUX: Well, as one who did not sign a letter --

SEN. BAUCUS: I also did not sign a letter. (Laughter.)

SEN. BREAUX: -- let me just say that it was a constructive meeting. I think that with the president's involvement and leadership, Medicare can pass this year; without his involvement and leadership, it will not pass. So it was particularly encouraging to see that he is going to be strongly involved, will call us back for a status report at a later time.

I think the points that were made were two: Number one, that we want to have a deadline, at least a goal to finish it in September. And the second point was that it needs to be bipartisan, otherwise it cannot pass. A one-vote strategy, I think, is not going to produce a Medicare bill. It is actually easier to get 60 votes in the Senate than it would be to get 51 votes. So I think that the meeting was encouraging. It was positive. And I think there's a sense of optimism among the conferees as a result of that.

REP. TAUZIN: Let me -- Mr. Frist want to go?

SEN. FRIST: Yeah, go ahead. Go ahead.

REP. TAUZIN: Let me say, as the co-chair of the House delegation, that we have two different bills to work with, the Senate bill and the House bill. But there are more commonalities in those two bills than there are differences. And the biggest commonality is that each bill provides nearly $400 billion for seniors to have affordable prescription drugs now. And if we go into this conference focused only upon the differences and not the similarities and commonalities, we could be here all year on this conference. We're going to set a deadline. We're going to make sure seniors get this $400 billion of drug relief this year. And this conference will be successful, and I'll tell you why. Because I don't think a Democrat in the House, or a Republican in the House or a Democrat or a Republican in the Senate expect to leave here in the fall with $400 billion on the table while America's seniors don't have drug coverage. And I don't believe anybody wants to leave town and say, "We're going to leave $400 billion on the table and debate it again next year." Seniors get it. And it's about time the House and Senate get it. And I think we're going to get it before we leave session this year.

Mr. Leader.

SEN. FRIST: Let me just close with reflections on the meeting itself.

Number one, the president of the United States made it very clear that this is a major priority for him, for his administration, and it's something that he expects us in the United States Congress to deliver on with a bill that he will be proud to sign. He demonstrated and expressed his willingness to participate in whatever way will be helpful, and we accept that willingness to participate.

Number two, it is clear that this bill is about two things. Number one, to provide seniors and individuals with disabilities access for the first time through the Medicare program to prescription drugs. They want it, they need it, they deserve it, and it's something that we as a government will deliver on. Number two, seniors have made it very clear that they want to be able to choose the type of health care coverage that best meets their individual needs. That is something that is in both the House bill and the Senate bill, and thus, since both the prescription drug coverage is and this opportunity to choose appropriate coverage is in both bills, I am confident that we will be able to deliver a bill that the president indeed will be proud to sign.

The plans will be over the next several weeks -- the Senate will be in session two more weeks -- to continue to work in a bicameral and bipartisan way. Over the August recess, staff will continue and senators will continue to work together. Some major decisions will be made in early September, really on four to five issues. Those issues are being defined by the chairmen and the co-chairmen and the leadership and the conference.

With that, I'm very hopeful that we will be able to move towards a bill by the end of September that we will be able to take to the respective bodies. Again, no deadlines were set. Some people would say that is optimistic. But having followed this Medicare debate and participated over the last several months in the United States Senate, and over the last several years in this Congress, I'm confident that we can do that.

Q Senator Breaux, what do you make of Chairman Thomas's parting shot there?

SEN. BREAUX: Well, I think that letters are a means of posturing by both sides which are frequently issued, and that's what happened here. I mean you have a Republican letter saying that they have to have this, that or the other or we'll never get a bill. You have Democratic letters saying essentially the same thing. I think that's all part of the posturing. And now I think that's over, that's behind us, and now we're going to have to roll up our sleeves and get the job done. I think that there was a commitment to do that.

How's that?

SEN./REP. : That's pretty good!

SEN./REP. : It was very good! (Laughter.)

REP. THOMAS: Okay, thank you all. Appreciate it.