U.S. House of Representatives not shutting door on Medicare just because of Bush's threatened veto.

Even though President Bush has vowed to veto prescription-drug legislation that is sent to him this year, House Republicans are expressing a growing interest in tackling Medicare entitlement spending as they grapple with Social Security reform.

After the administration last month updated its estimates on the costs of the Medicare drug benefit, lawmakers of both parties called for legislative fixes to the benefit, which goes into effect in January.

Some Republicans . . . have pointed out that it is politically difficult to make the case that Social Security is in crisis when Medicare is estimated to become insolvent 23 years before Social Security.

The bankruptcy date of Medicare was moved from 2026 to 2019 after actuaries accounted for the new drug benefit.

(3-3-05, The Hill.)