Our esteemed legislators have passed the largest entitlement program in recent memory:

WASHINGTON - A sweeping overhaul of Medicare that will offer senior citizens a federally subsidized prescription-drug benefit squeezed through the House of Representatives at dawn yesterday, setting the stage for Senate approval expected next week.

The final 220-215 vote remained uncertain until the gavel sounded at 5:53 a.m. Republican leaders, joined by President Bush, prevailed in a dramatic and desperate predawn hunt for votes after Democrats had amassed a majority to kill the bill.

"This is probably one of the most important bills we've had on domestic policy in decades," said exhausted House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R., Ill.).

The legislation would provide voluntary drug coverage to 40 million eligible senior citizens for the first time in Medicare's 38-year history and would significantly increase the role of private insurers in the federal health insurance program. The $400 billion, 10-year bill also would spend more money on hospitals and doctors and create health-related tax shelters for Americans.

Yesterday's vote was a victory for Bush, who was eager for a domestic policy success to tout during his reelection bid.

I agree that this bill will take prescription drug benefits off the table for the Democrats, however, the costs will be astronomical. The AARP, a powerful lobby whose members turn out for elections by the hundreds of thousands backed the bill.

The AARP endorsement came as Democrats weigh whether to try to block the bill when it comes to the Senate floor as early as this week. They would need just 41 votes to block the legislation under Senate rules, but it is far from clear whether they have the political will to mount a filibuster against a measure whose central provision, a huge prescription drug benefit, is widely popular.

The Congressional Budget Office must still certify that the bill doesn't blow it's budget of $400 billion. Otherwise, negotiators will have to go back and alter its delicately balanced provisions to meet the cap. But lawmakers have been working with CBO all along to make sure the bill stays on budget.

Some conservatives remained wary, however.

"The enormous cost of this proposal will only hasten Medicare's insolvency, and we'll have to rely on future Congresses to have the political courage that this Congress lacks," said Arizona Rep. Jeff Flake.

"In the end, I think this looks like nothing more than an extremely expensive way to buy votes."

This program is going to cost way more than 400 million.