July 9, 2008

Washington, DC – Nevada Senator Harry Reid made the following statement today after the U.S. Senate passed the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act by a 69-30 vote.  This bill will benefit the more than 320,000 Medicare patients in Nevada:

“With this vote, the Senate has passed a responsible and necessary bill to prevent payment cuts for doctors and to improve care for patients.  We are reversing a 10.6-percent cut in payments to physicians who care for millions of American seniors and military families.
 
“The House strongly passed this bill in bipartisan, veto-proof fashion by nearly 300 votes, and the Senate has now passed it by a veto-proof margin as well.  It is now up to the President to sign it into law.  I call on him to join Congress in making sure Medicare works better for every American senior and TRICARE works better for our troops.
 
“Senator Kennedy showed again today why he is so beloved in our Senate family, why he is the model of public service and an American icon.  We knew that Senator Kennedy – one of the greatest fighters this body has ever seen – would rise to the challenge and return to work, and what more appropriate time for him to do so than in an effort to protect seniors’ and veterans’ health care.”