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Seniors Will Give Senators a Hard Time for Not Passing Drug Bills

Aired July 31, 2002 - 14:41   ET

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

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: The Senate today rejected a prescription drug benefit for seniors on Medicare. The last-ditch attempt was the fourth to fail since last week, and that could cost the senators when they go home to their districts.
Joining us now from Los Angeles, senior political analyst Bill Schneider -- Bill, what are options for seniors now?

WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, they can vote. That's their main option, and they are going to be very angry about this. Seniors vote in very large numbers, particularly in midterm elections when most people don't vote. Both parties promised them they would have prescription drug coverage during the next couple of years. Bush promised it in 2000, and so did Al Gore if he were to become president. So seniors are going to be very angry about this broken promise.

PHILLIPS: So what happened? What went wrong, Bill?

SCHNEIDER: Both parties had plans, they still could work out a compromise theoretically, though it doesn't look good, before they go out of session in October. The Republican plan depended on private insurers, the Democratic plan put it entirely under the government, and cost a great deal more money. They simply didn't reach a compromise, and a lot of people think it is because both parties really wanted to have the issue going into the 2002 midterm election.

PHILLIPS: All right. Let's talk more about options. Obviously this can go back to the table again, but we are talking fourth failed attempt. What could happen? What could be the worst case scenario here? We have talked a lot about seniors having to go across the border to Mexico and Canada to get drugs at an expensive price.

SCHNEIDER: Seniors simply don't understand why American drugs are manufactured in this country, and yet they can be bought much more cheaply in Canada and Mexico and other countries, because those countries have price controls that we don't. They have demanded the government do something. You know, our poling shows that top two issues to seniors are Social Security and Medicare, and particularly prescription drugs under Medicare. To the rest of the voters, it is the economy and terrorism. We know a couple of things about seniors. They vote in large numbers, they swing. Bet you didn't know that. They are not locked into either party. They have swung back and forth from Democrat to Republican, and they vote their interests, and in this case, their interest is very clear.

PHILLIPS: Political analyst Bill Schneider, thanks Bill.

SCHNEIDER: Sure.

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