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CNN Live Today

Senate Battles Over Prescription Drug Plans

Aired July 16, 2002 - 13:53   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: A new prescription drug plan appears stalled in the Senate, at least for the moment. Debate was supposed to begin this morning on a generic drug bill, but it hit a delay.

Congressional correspondent Jonathan Karl joins us live from Washington, with more on this drug debate.

Hi -- Jon.

JONATHAN KARL, CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Kyra.

Well, this is already shaping up to be perhaps one of the hottest political issues in this current political year. And Lord knows, it's been that in past political years. What's happening right now is the Senate is haggling over some procedural issues. But the bottom line is that over the next two weeks, the Senate will be debating how best to provide some help to senior citizens to buy prescription drugs.

And right now, even as this debate is just getting under way, both sides are predicting defeat.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RICK SANTORUM (R), PENNSYLVANIA: It is a sham to convince seniors that Democrats somehow care, while insuring they don't pass anything. That's what ask going on. If they were serious, they'd move through a serious process, having hearings on a multibillion dollar, hundred billion dollars of drug benefits. They'd have hearings on it, they'd have markups on it, they'd have thorough discussion about it. If we were serious about doing a serious proposal -- this is politics, raw, pure and simple.

SEN. EDWARD KENNEDY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: What to this debate is about is, in many respects, greed, corporate greed, by those companies now that are ripping off the public. And they are able to get, in effect, a delay by this body to considering this important legislation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KARL: The Senate will be looking at three competing plans. One plan is offered by the Democrats -- would cost at least $500 billion over the next 10 years. They would essentially give seniors a pretty generous benefit under the Medicare program: a $25 deductible and -- I mean, $25 monthly premium -- and no deductible on prescription drugs.

There is also a tripartisan bill -- it's called that because there are Democrats, some, who support it, many Republicans, and the one Independent in the Senate. That would cost less -- about $370 billion -- have a $24 monthly premium and a $250 deductible and some other limits.

There is also, finally, a third plan, the least expensive: $160 billion. Follows very closely what President Bush campaigned on in campaign 2000. It essentially would just provide some help for low- income seniors to buy their prescription drugs, and that's a plan that many Democrats say is simply not enough, not enough to go on.

So Kyra, complicated issues here. They'll be haggling about this over the next two weeks, and nobody right now is predicting that any of those plans has enough votes to pass.

PHILLIPS: All right, we will continue to follow up on it, Jon. Thanks, Jonathan Karl.

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