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HYPOCRISY ALERT: GOP Waited 7 Months to Hold W&M Hearing on Medicare Part D Rollout

October 29, 2013

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

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