Prescription Drug Benefit

PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT

Mr. WYDEN. Before he leaves the floor, I say to the distinguished majority leader how much I have enjoyed working with him over the years on this issue of health care. As he knows, Senator Hatch and I have worked for many months on a bipartisan proposal that we would like to be part of the discussion he is going to launch. I have come to the conclusion that, as pressing as the financial issues are with respect to health care, the social and ethical issues are going to be even more important as we face this demographic tsunami of millions of baby boomers who are retiring in 2010 and 2011. So I am grateful the majority leader continues his interest in health care.

I continue to have a bipartisan interest in working with the majority leader, who has spent so much time on those issues over the years. I know I speak for Senator Hatch in this regard as well.

We have to break the gridlock on this issue. Literally for 60 years, if you look at the parallel between what Harry Truman tried in the 81st Congress in 1945 and what was tried in 1993 and up to this day, we see, unless we find a way to take a fresh approach, as the distinguished majority leader said today, we are not going to break this gridlock.

So I welcome your statement today. I am anxious to work with you and the chairman of the committee, Senator Gregg, to pursue these proposals.

Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, just briefly responding through the Chair, I very much appreciate those comments because, just as we have done with Medicare, it is going to take strong bipartisan support to get good, effective legislation through.

Second, the point about why now versus 10 years ago, 20 years ago, or 30 years ago—I agree wholeheartedly. We have this huge demographic shift that didn't occur 10 years ago or 20 years ago or 30 years ago or 40 years ago, that we are realizing right now. It gives us a perfect reason for all of us to come together to address these problems—the uninsured is a major one for both of us—in a way that may be unprecedented, at least in the last 10, 20, or 30 years.

I very much appreciate those comments and look forward to working with my colleague.