"This prescription drug deal is bad medicine and American seniors should not have to swallow it.

The tentative agreement between House and Senate negotiators, contains provisions that would increase beneficiaries' costs, financially coerce seniors into private HMOs, and encourage employers to drop retiree drug benefits. It wastes precious resources on new health care tax shelters, which primarily benefit high-income Americans and undermine the insurance market.

This legislation includes provisions that are primarily designed to privatize Medicare, which would benefit insurance companies but not seniors. Worst of all, the agreement fails to meaningfully constrain the swelling cost of prescription drugs-each year American seniors encounter double-digit increases in the price of their medications.

Older Americans want and desperately need a Medicare prescription drug benefit. Congress can and should take this opportunity to provide a meaningful benefit through Medicare. Republicans in Congress are moving in the wrong direction. But, it is not too late for them to reverse course.

Republicans and Democrats must work to solve problems by developing policies that meet the challenges which our nation faces. This bill does more to serve the special interests than the interests of the people. We must put Americans' interests ahead of political interests.

I remain confident and hopeful that Congress can produce a bill worthy of those Americans who made our nation great. Our seniors shouldn't have to choose between food on the table and medicine in the cabinet."