Rhode Island Congressional Hopefuls Debate Medicare Prescription Drugs
In the wake of the Senate's failure to pass a Medicare prescription drug benefit, candidates vying for the 1st Congressional District seat in Rhode Island have "unleashed a flurry of statements and position papers" on the issue, the Providence Journal reports. Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D), who supported a failed Democratic proposal to expand the Medicare program to include drug coverage, said he will introduce a bill that would offer grants to pharmacy assistance programs, including the Rhode Island Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Elderly Program. The grants would be subsidized with the proceeds from pharmaceutical sales, according to the Journal. The bill would also budget $1 million for doctor and patient education on the "benefits of generic drugs" and would allocate $5 million to the FDA's generic drug review program. David Sanders, a spokesperson for Kennedy, said, "It's a way of getting pharmaceuticals out into the marketplace as quickly as possible at a reduced cost," adding, "Compared to the initial plans and costs, this is most definitely less expensive."
Republican Reaction
David Rogers, a Republican House candidate for the 1st District seat, said that he supports the House GOP plan, adding that the Democrats' plan would have seniors "wait until 2005 to receive assistance" without providing price controls. He added, "[Kennedy] played politics at the expense of senior citizens" by opposing the House GOP bill. Christine Ferguson, another Republican candidate for the seat, said that she does not support either party's plan. She has said that if elected she will help pass a prescription drug benefit but has not suggested any proposals. Ferguson said that a prescription drug benefit "must take into account the realities of seniors' fixed monthly incomes," adding, "This issue is too important to be held as a political hostage any longer." A spokesperson for Mike Battles, a third Republican candidate, said he has not released "any recent statements" about the issue, according to the Journal (Corkery, Providence Journal, 8/12).
