When Medicare Part D experienced glitches in its October 2005 rollout, Republicans waited a full seven months before they held their first Ways and Means Committee hearing on the implementation. As Ways and Means Committee Republican Kevin Brady said in February 2006: “I think it needs to be understood that in a major reform, an improvement of a program like this, there are bound to be glitches":
NPR: Problems Plague Rollout of New Medicare Drug Plan (1/11/06)
Wall Street Journal: Glitches Mar Launch of Medicare Drug Plan (1/4/06)
Yet, Committee Republicans waited until May 2006 to hold the first subcommittee hearing and June 2006 to hold the first full committee hearing:
W&M Health Subcommittee Hearing, May 3, 2006: Implementation of the Medicare Drug Benefit (Transcript )
W&M Full Committee Hearing, June 14, 2006: Implementation of the Medicare Drug Benefit
