From Majority Leader Boehner's office via the WMD Mailbag:
Just two days after Nancy Pelosi absurdly referred to the Medicare prescription drug program as "corrupt," she readily acknowledged Democrats are urging seniors to sign up. Coping with the success of the new benefit that is saving seniors thousands hasn't been easy for Democrats. While some embrace it, some want to dismantle it. Pelosi and others Democrats actually want to do both.
Nancy Pelosi and her Capitol Hill Democrats' simultaneous efforts to both undermine the new benefit while also encouraging seniors to enroll continues Democrats' bizarre balancing act on the issue. Take the performance of Pelosi last weekend on NBC's Meet the Press, where she said:"We will have subpoena power, and that's why the Republicans are so afraid that we will be able to show the public how they arrived at the prescription drug bill that is borne of corruption.'
Yet two days later, she conceded to CongressDaily that Democrats see the value in the benefit for their senior constituents:"Democrats have been out across the country encouraging seniors to sign up for a prescription drug plan by May 15th."
With many seniors averaging annual savings of $1,000, there is no shortage of good news to report. For example:
According to this morning's USA Today, more than 31 million American seniors have enrolled in the new benefit, exceeding the Bush Administration's expectations;
Competition is lowering costs, with average premiums now averaging about $25 per month, down from prior estimates of $37 per month.
According to a U.S. Chamber of Commerce study, 84 percent of seniors are satisfied with their new benefit;
A Washington Post-ABC News poll demonstrated that a majority of the seniors who have enrolled in the Medicare prescription drug benefit say the paperwork was not difficult to fill out and that the benefit saves them money;
An AARP survey showed nearly eight in 10 (78 percent) of those enrolled in a prescription drug plan say the new benefit is meeting or exceeding their expectations.
Even while Democrats try to undercut a program that is proving successful in lowering the cost of prescription drugs, Republicans continue to work diligently to encourage American seniors to enroll and start saving.
