George Bush's Medicare Prescription Drug bill gave away hundreds of billions of dollars to the Pharmaceutical industry, and now that Congress is considering cutting the extreme waste in the program, the President is threatening a veto. CQ Today's Midday Update (free email service) reports:

Responding to growing congressional concern about the projected costs of the 2003 Medicare prescription drug law, President Bush today vowed to veto any legislation that seeks to pare back the new benefits. Speaking at a swearing-in ceremony for Health and Human Services Secretary Michael O. Leavitt, Bush called the law "a landmark achievement" and warned that "any attempt to limit the choices of our seniors and to take away their prescription drug coverage under Medicare will meet my veto." Newly revised 10-year cost estimates for the Medicare drug benefit touched off consternation among many on Capitol Hill this week, especially Republican conservatives who fought enactment of the law in the first place because of cost concerns. A defiant Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., said he and others who opposed the drug bill should still send Bush legislation to scale back the benefit to low-income seniors only. "If he chooses to veto this, that's his choice," Flake said. "But I don't think he will."

If only he fought for the American people like he fights for his major contributors (think Enron, PhRMA, etc.) this country would be so much better off.