Letter to President George W. Bush

The following letter was sent to President Bush today by Senators Kennedy, Corzine, Bob Graham, Stabenow, Clinton,
Lautenberg, Johnson, Mikulski, Harkin, Dayton, Sarbanes and Daschle.

May 10, 2004

The Honorable George W. Bush
President of the United States
The White House
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President,

Some of us wrote to you on March 12 - almost two months ago - to express our concern that the Administration had suppressed information about its cost estimate for the Medicare bill while the legislation was pending in Congress last year. If this information had been available, Congress would not have passed the bill and it would not have become law.

Since then, statements and testimony by the Medicare Chief Actuary has made clear that the initial estimate of the bill's costs were available as early as last June, were updated throughout the following months, and were provided to senior officials in the White House. The estimates were consistently between $500 billion and $600 billion -always at least $100 billion higher than the $400 billion cost stated by the Administration. Yet you and others in the Administration continued to use the misleading $400 billion figure until the bill was passed.

Last week, the Congressional Research Service concluded that the actions of your Administration in suppressing these cost estimates are "an apparent violation of the federal 'anti-gag order' law." They certainly constitute a breach of the public trust. In view of the growing scandal over the enactment of the new Medicare law, we repeat the request for you to answer the questions asked in the March 12 letter:

1. In your briefings on the bill, did you ask what the bill would cost, and, if so, what were you told?

2. At which points in time were the Medicare Chief Actuary's estimates discussed by the White House task force, and what were the cost estimates for the bill at each of these points?

3. Specific assurances had been given by the Administration to members of Congress that the bill would cost no more than $400 billion, and the $400 billion estimate was widely reported in the press. Why did you and other officials of your Administration fail to correct the cost estimate before the final House and Senate votes on the bill?

4. Were any members of Congress informed of the Administration's estimate before the final votes? If so, who were they,
and when were they told?

5. Who in your Administration was aware of the threat to dismiss the Medicare Chief Actuary if he released information on
the Administration's more accurate cost estimates to Congress?

We look forward to your prompt response.

Sincerely,