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CNN Live Saturday
House Passes Medicare Reform Bill
Aired November 22, 2003 - 14:08 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.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: And we have major news on Capitol Hill today. The house has approved a nearly $400 billion measure that it calls Medicare reform it offers a prediction drug benefit and a private healthcare option. It now goes to the Senate. Kathleen Koch has been covering this story for us from the White House, which was involved in getting the house vote for the bill. A very happy president today. Kathleen?
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, and President Bush that helped make this passage of the bill possible in the house this morning, because he was very, very busy working the phones. A White House official tells me the president making more than a dozen phone calls both last night and this morning to house lawmakers, apparently those calls worked.
The president was able to persuade at least two Republicans who had initially opposed it bill to vote yes, and that sort of broke the logjam and the bill went through. In a statement the president he approved -- he applauded I should say the house passage of the Medicare bill calling it historic. The measure now goes into the senate.
The Senate has been debating it about four hours. A vote is expected, perhaps as soon as Monday. President Bush in his Saturday morning radio address urged the senate to okay the measure, which he says would benefit some 40 million seniors.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: When these reforms take full effect, our seniors would see real savings in their healthcare costs. Within six months, seniors would be an eligible for a drug discount card that would save them between 10 and 25 percent off the retail price of most drugs.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH: The president also stepped up his support for a controversial provision, which allows direct competition between traditional Medicare, and new private plans. President Bush says it would give seniors "more control over their healthcare options" but opponents warn they believe it could draw wealthier seniors into these private plans leaving fewer takers than for traditional Medicare, and thus driving up costs, Catherine?
CALLAWAY: All right, Kathleen, thank you for keeping us up to date on that story. Kathleen Koch from the White House. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired November 22, 2003 - 14:08 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: And we have major news on Capitol Hill today. The house has approved a nearly $400 billion measure that it calls Medicare reform it offers a prediction drug benefit and a private healthcare option. It now goes to the Senate. Kathleen Koch has been covering this story for us from the White House, which was involved in getting the house vote for the bill. A very happy president today. Kathleen?
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, and President Bush that helped make this passage of the bill possible in the house this morning, because he was very, very busy working the phones. A White House official tells me the president making more than a dozen phone calls both last night and this morning to house lawmakers, apparently those calls worked.
The president was able to persuade at least two Republicans who had initially opposed it bill to vote yes, and that sort of broke the logjam and the bill went through. In a statement the president he approved -- he applauded I should say the house passage of the Medicare bill calling it historic. The measure now goes into the senate.
The Senate has been debating it about four hours. A vote is expected, perhaps as soon as Monday. President Bush in his Saturday morning radio address urged the senate to okay the measure, which he says would benefit some 40 million seniors.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: When these reforms take full effect, our seniors would see real savings in their healthcare costs. Within six months, seniors would be an eligible for a drug discount card that would save them between 10 and 25 percent off the retail price of most drugs.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOCH: The president also stepped up his support for a controversial provision, which allows direct competition between traditional Medicare, and new private plans. President Bush says it would give seniors "more control over their healthcare options" but opponents warn they believe it could draw wealthier seniors into these private plans leaving fewer takers than for traditional Medicare, and thus driving up costs, Catherine?
CALLAWAY: All right, Kathleen, thank you for keeping us up to date on that story. Kathleen Koch from the White House. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
