Letter to Chairman Thomas and Chairman Barton

Dear Chairman Thomas and Chairman Barton,

We are pleased with the progress of the Medicare prescription drug benefit and would like to formally request your committees hold hearings on the program. We were pleased to see the commitment this week of the Ways and Means Committee to hold a hearing in the coming weeks. Additionally, several Republican Members have introduced legislation or suggested improvements to the Medicare drug program that we believe have merit and deserve debate and consideration in your respective committees.

More than 38 million seniors are now covered, are getting prescriptions filled, and are saving money with this new benefit. Strong participation in the program and competition in the marketplace has lowered costs for seniors and the government. Surveys show seniors are satisfied with the new benefit and are saving money with the program.

We believe these successes need highlighting, but we also believe some of our colleagues have offered ideas to strengthen and improve the new benefit that deserve consideration.

We appreciate your leadership on this issue and your consideration of our request. We share your commitment to ensuring that the new Medicare prescription drug benefit is successful and provides the greatest benefit possible to our seniors.

Cosigners of the letter:

Heather Wilson

Shelly Moore Capito

Ginny Brown Waite

Charlie Dent

Judy Biggert

Charlie Bass

Sue Kelly

Tom Petri

Jeb Bradley

John Sweeney

Jim Saxton

John McHugh

John Porter

Jim Gerlach

Rick Renzi

Frank Wolf

http://wilson.house.gov/NewsAction.asp?FormMode=Releases