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Editor's Opinion
Senate Aging Committee Goes Dark
At time when this committee is needed most it is
slipping into dysfunction
By Tucker Sutherland, editor, SeniorJournal.com
March 4, 2005 The Senate Aging Committee held a
hearing yesterday entitled Implementation of the Medicare Modernization
Act: Delivering Prescription Drugs to Dual Eligibles, which is one of
the controversial parts of the Medicare bill that becomes effective in
January. The committee, however, posted no notice for the media about
the hearing and the links to testimony do not work today. A video
recording is available on the committees Website.
Testifying were Dr. Mark McClellan, Administrator,
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; Tina Kitchin, Medical
Director, Oregon Department of Human Services; Carl Clark, CEO, Mental
Health Center of Denver, and Wendy Gerlach, Director of Pharmacy
Operations, Roeschen's Omnicare Pharmacy, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Hopefully, later today or over the weekend their testimony will be
available on the Web -
click here to check.
On February 6, we wrote the following lead to a
story about the second hearing of the committee under its new chairman.
"If the second hearing conducted by Sen. Gordon
Smith (R-OR) of the Senate Special Committee on Aging is an example,
seniors can expect more balance in the testimony than was often provided
in hearings by the former chairman. Last weeks hearing focused on
Social Security and had balanced testimony and good information by the
Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the General Accounting Office (GAO),
AARP, the Concord Coalition, and the Heritage Foundation."
A month later, our hopes for a more effective
committee on aging is beginning to dim.
The major political issues of the day - Social
Security, Medicare, Medicaid - are primarily issues that impact
America's older citizens - those this committee is designed to serve.
There has never been a time when this committee was more needed by
Americans to explore the relationship between government and the aging
population.
We were sometimes critical of the former chairman,
Idaho Republican Senator Larry Craig, because we thought he stacked his
hearing participants to support only one point of view. Sen. Craig,
however, ran an active and efficient committee. He has now moved on to
chair Veterans' Affairs, where he will, we are sure, be an aggressive
and active leader.
The aging committee is now packed with dynamic
Senators from both parties and we need the chairman, Sen. Smith, to
provide the leadership this committee deserves.
Following are some related earlier stories about
the committee:
Oregons Smith to Chair Senate Aging
Committee
 Four new members added to committee
Dec. 21, 2004 Sen. Gordon Smith, Oregon Republican, was named today to
chair the Senate Special Committee on Aging in the next Congress. The
appointment, which must be confirmed by the Republican caucus, was made
by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, who also named the other members
of the committee.
More... 12/21/04*
Sen. Craig Stepping Down From Aging Committee
Chairmanship
Republicans have not named new committees, Craig
wants Veterans
 Dec.
14, 2004 - Idaho Republican Senator Larry Craig has announced that he
has decided to step down as chairman of the Special Committee on Aging
and seek chairmanship of the Veterans Affairs Committee. Although
Democrats have already announced their committee assignments, Republican
Senate leader Bill Frist has not announced the Republican line-up.
More... 12/14/04*
Senate Aging Committee Gets New Democrat Leader,
Kolh, and New Members Clinton and Nelson
 |
 |
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Sen. Clinton |
Sen. Kohl |
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Dec. 7, 2004 The U.S. Special Committee on Aging is
certain to have a new look in the next Congress as Democrat Senate Leader
Harry Reid, Nevada, is appointing a new ranking member for the Democrats,
Sen. Herb Kohl, Wisconsin, and adding new members Sen. Hillary Clinton, New
York, and Sen. Bill Nelson, Florida.
More... 12/07/04*
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