LOU WATERS, CNN ANCHOR: Now to Independence, Missouri, where the vice president at the home of Harry S. Truman, another vice president who was elected with long odds against him. And it's also the 65th anniversary of Social Security with this visit near Kansas City. The vice president is speaking. Let's listen.</s>VICE PRES. AL GORE (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Talking about my dad, the year before Medicare was passed in 1964, one of our family's greatest sources of pride is that my dad authored the first Medicare bill to pass the United States Senate. That one didn't pass the House that year. But after the landslide of '64, then in February of '65, the new Medicare proposal did pass. Now, it's an issue in this election year. And it's worth remembering why Medicare is so important. Before it passed, only 50 percent of our senior citizens had health insurance. After it passed, 95 percent of our seniors had health insurance. That made a tremendous difference. Now, today, we see from all of the stories that are coming from our own families and from people far and wide that prescription drug bills are so high that seniors need some improvements to Medicare. That's why I'm fighting in this election year to make this in part a mandate on whether or not we are going to have prescription dug benefits. Joe Lieberman and I are for prescription drug benefits under the Medicare program for all of our senior citizens. It is time to give them that help because they're having trouble paying their bills.</s>WATERS: Al Gore, in Independence, Missouri today, on this occasion of the 65th anniversary of Social Security, describing the differences between his proposal and the Republican proposal on drug benefits and the Medicare plan. The Al Gore plan proposing a 10-year $255 billion to include those prescription drugs and free coverage to low income recipients. We'll be hearing more about that in the days and weeks to come. Health care one of the major issue that will be discussed at this Republican National Convention -- this Democratic National Convention, excuse me.
Gore Campaigns in Independence, Missouri