NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR: The lawmakers are making a last-ditch effort to revive a proposal to make prescription drugs more affordable. CNN's Kelly Wallace joins us with that from the White House -- Kelly.</s>KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Natalie, helping seniors with the high cost of prescription drugs is a very popular election-year issue. A few weeks ago, Republicans unveiled their ideas about how to provide affordable drug coverage. And today, President Clinton, flanked by congressional Democrats, tried to rally support for the Democratic approach.</s>WILLIAM J. CLINTON, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: America's seniors, men and women, deserve better. No one should be forced to take a bus trip to Canada to get medicines made in the U.S. at a lower price. We desperately need a comprehensive plan to provide a prescription drug benefit that is optional, affordable, accessible to all.</s>WALLACE (voice-over): The Democratic plan is voluntary and available to all Medicare recipients. Seniors would pay premiums starting at $26 a month, and pay one-half of their prescription drug costs. The price tag: $200 billion over 10 years. But an alliance of insurance companies sees the plan as big government getting in the way of a free market and competition.</s>NONA WEGNER, PRESIDENT, COUNCIL FOR AFFORDABLE HEALTH INSURANCE: This is, again, a sort of one-size-fits-all plan, where you might be causing people who already have coverage to lose that coverage.</s>WALLACE: House Republicans say the Democratic plan may be too costly. Under their plan, they would propose a prescription drug subsidy for only the poorest seniors, and those with unusually high drug costs. They also call for private insurance companies to offer drug coverage for low-income seniors. Kelly Wallace, CNN, reporting live from the White House.
Democrats Unveil Prescription Drug Benefit Proposal