SCOTT MCCLELLAN HOLDS WHITE HOUSE REGULAR NEWS BRIEFING.

Original Source: Political Transcript Wire

WHITE HOUSE REGULAR NEWS BRIEFING

DECEMBER 8, 2003

SPEAKER: SCOTT MCCLELLAN, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY

[*] MCCLELLAN: Good afternoon. A couple updates to the president's schedule and then one statement.

This morning the president spoke to both Sudanese President Bashir and the chairman of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement, Dr. John Garang. Both calls were upbeat and positive. The president congratulated each leader on the progress made thus far in the Sudan peace process and indicated that he was watching the peace process closely. The president encouraged each side to demonstrate the flexibility to resolve their remaining differences and take the final steps to complete a just and comprehensive peace agreement.

President Bush explained that peace in Sudan would give a great boost to the aspirations of the people in Sudan and that Sudan could be a beacon of reconciliation.

Also today Mrs. Bush taped an interview with Larry King. The president made a surprise drop-by, along with Barney and Spot. And that interviews airs this evening at 9 p.m. Eastern.

And then this afternoon the president and Mrs. Bush look forward to participating in the children's Christmas reception and program. They will join children of all branches of our United States military who are deployed away from home this holiday season, and they will watch scenes from "The Nutcracker" in the East Room, in addition to Christmas carols, cookies and Santa Claus.

MCCLELLAN: One other statement and then I'll be glad to take questions.

Two weeks ago, Congress left town without acting on almost 100 presidential nominations. Obstruction by a Democrat minority that had largely been confined to judicial nominations has now spread to other executive branch nominations. A Democrat minority is obstructing progress on confirming high-priority presidential nominations for no other reason than to play partisan politics.

These are positions that are critical to running the government, many are important to our efforts to win the war on terrorism.

We still do not have confirmed ambassadors in critical posts like Saudi Arabia, Syria, India, Uzbekistan, Tunisia and Morocco.

We do not have a confirmed deputy attorney general, the number two post at Justice, which has oversight of the FBI and all U.S. attorneys.

We do not have a general counsel at Treasury, a position critical to our success in cracking down on terrorist financing.

As Congress returns to Washington this week, we urge the Senate to act as quickly as possible on these highly qualified nominees.

And with that, I'll be glad to take questions.

QUESTION: Why did the president support the provision in the Medicare bill that would ban Medigap coverage for the so-called doughnut hole in prescription drug coverage?

MCCLELLAN: Well, it was a consumer protection measure, number one.

But the president supported this legislation because it will lead to the biggest improvements and greatest advance in health care for our nation's seniors since Medicare was created in 1965.

MCCLELLAN: This legislation will provide some 40 million seniors access to prescription drug coverage under Medicare for the first time in history.

Seniors have been waiting too long for the kind of modern, updated benefits that others have access to. And the president was pleased to sign this legislation that will give seniors more choices, better benefits and more control over their health care.

It is important for seniors to have the same kind of access to the medicine and plans that members of Congress now have access to. And this legislation, the provision you're talking about, is about consumer protection for seniors in making sure that insurers aren't offering duplicative, over-priced coverage to them.

QUESTION: The way that I've heard it though, is that the administration has concerns that if seniors have Medigap coverage they'll overuse the benefit, and that this is...

MCCLELLAN: Well, first of all, keep in mind that in this legislation, that the first choice that seniors are going to have is the choice to keep their current coverage, if they like the way it is working. This is a voluntary program. It provides more choices and better benefits. And the bill permits the renewal of traditional Medigap policies, as you bring up, but prohibits the selling of duplicative coverage that this bill makes available to them.

QUESTION: Right, but, still the seniors will get stuck -- if seniors should have drug costs that run just below catastrophic coverage or even over it, will still get stuck with this $2,800 out- of-pocket expense, because they will not be able to buy Medigap insurance to plug that hole.

And I'm wondering why the president saw fit to support that (inaudible), in particular.

MCCLELLAN: Well, again, why I said -- because it's a consumer protection measure that I just outlined to you. And under this legislation, seniors are going to see great savings for their prescription drug…