Statement on the Appointment of Senator John B. Breaux as Chairman of the National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare

I am pleased to join with Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott and House Speaker Newt Gingrich in announcing the appointment of Senator John Breaux (D-LA) as Chairman of the National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare.

In addition, I am grateful that Representative Bill Thomas (R-CA) has agreed to become Administrative Chair, working with the Chairman on this important Commission.

Over the past 5 years, we have strengthened and modernized the Medicare system by providing Americans with more choice and preventative care, reducing fraud and waste within the system, and extending the life of the Trust Fund for more than a decade.

Despite these advances, there is more work to do to ensure that Medicare stays strong and solvent for the generations to come.

I look forward to working with the Commission and to receiving their analysis of and recommendations for the future challenges facing the Medicare program.