WASHINGTON, D.C. - House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles B. Rangel (D-NY) issued the following statement applauding the recent Senate passage of H.R. 6331, the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008. The House passed H.R. 6331 in June by an overwhelming bipartisan majority of 355-59. The legislation will now be presented to the President for his signature.
“I want to applaud the Senate for its strong bipartisan vote today to advance this critical bill. The Congress has spoken with a clear, bipartisan voice and it is now up to the President to do the right thing and sign this bill into law. He should not delay further, since every day he prolongs this debate is another day that jeopardizes care for millions of Medicare patients nationwide."
“Today’s vote is a result of the strong, persistent leadership of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and Chairman Baucus, who worked with Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Chairman Pete Stark to underscore the importance of the provisions in the bill to gain the necessary support. They deserve tremendous praise for their efforts and I want to send a special thanks to my good friend and colleague, Senator Ted Kennedy for returning from his cancer treatment to cast the deciding vote that allowed this bill to move forward. He is a national leader on health care issues and I look forward to working with him on health care reform next year."
