Big Pharma Wins in Senate. Consumers Lose.

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AFL-CIO weblog

Big Pharma Wins in Senate. Consumers Lose.

by Mike Hall, Apr 18, 2007

Republican Senate leaders today blocked a bill that would have allowed Medicare to negotiate with the drug giants for lower prices. In doing so, they came down on the side of big pharmaceutical companies that make billions in profits on which America’s seniors rely–and against consumers who depend upon the Medicare program for affordable medication.

The 55-42 vote fell five votes short of the 60 needed to shut off Senate floor debate and move the bill to a vote on passage. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) voted to end debate, but switched his vote to maintain the right to bring the bill up again.

Calling the policy to bar Medicare from negotiating drug prices “nonsensical,” AFL-CIO President John Sweeney says:

We are extremely disappointed that a minority of senators has blocked legislation that could have allowed Medicare to negotiate for lower drug prices to achieve substantial savings for seniors and for the working families whose taxes support this vital program. Instead, Big Pharma won the day.

Senate Republicans had the strong backing of President Bush, who said if the drug negotiation bill got to his desk, he would veto it.



Read more: http://blog.aflcio.org/2007/04/18/big-pharma-wins-in-senate-consumers-lose/

[Karenina]

1. Consumers or CITIZENS???

:shrug:

[Mojorabbit]

2. I am so pissed off

that all the really important news is being overshadowed by a wanna be charrles manson. This will effect so many people.

[ticapnews]

3. Before anyone attacks Reid for voting against it..

It was simply a procedural move so that he can call the bill to the floor again in the future...

This is very disappointing, but not all that surprising.

[depakid]

4. Dems need to hang this around EVERY Republican's neck

like an albatross. nationalize the elections with it.

But of course, they won't.

[KansDem]

5. I don't know how they can justify this...

With this, the Iraq War, stem-cell research, bankruptcy bill and all, it's like they're bleeding us dry.

I don't know how they can live with themselves; I don't know how much longer we can live...

[rodeodance]

9. until there is a critical mass of OUTrage--we will bleed.

[KansDem]

14. I know I might sound naive, but I still wonder what they were thinking.

They must know this will screw over their constituents! We keep hearing about how "free enterprise" and "competition" is the basis for our world-envying "free choice" and "standard of living." How does this vote reconcile with that?

I just wonder what went on in their minds when they voted for Big Pharma at the expense of the American people...

[xxqqqzme]

17. What went through their minds?

Why campaign contributions....what else?

[rodeodance]

6. this will soon be called the DO_NOTHING SENATE!!

[sandnsea]

7. Republican Obstructionist Senate

They win because they always remember to attack the actual opposition.

[54anickel]

8. Figured this would come after Bush pulled the plug on WI SeniorCare

We were the last hold out.
He and his cronies laid out a plan for Medicare that will benefit Big Pharma and they're stickin' with it.

[EC]

10. Hope they had a roll call vote

so when 2008 comes we can use their votes against them...

[Double T]

11. Just another 'gift' to corporate america and wall street...............

everyone else in the world MUST compete for 'the business', why should corporate big pharma have immunity?? Just another rethug disgrace to add to their list of dirty deeds done to the American people.

[Doctor_J]

12. We're never going to get the country back from the wingers

between their media monoply and the fact that they lie, cheat, steal and kill without remorse or repercussion, there' is no way to win. I hope WWIII comes as soon as possible so we can get on with the rebuilding.

[unlawflcombatnt]

13. Here's the Senate Vote

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00132

Grouped By Vote Position YEAs ---55
Akaka (D-HI)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bayh (D-IN)
Biden (D-DE)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Brown (D-OH)
Byrd (D-WV)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Cardin (D-MD)
Carper (D-DE)
Casey (D-PA)
Clinton (D-NY)
Coleman (R-MN)
Collins (R-ME)
Conrad (D-ND)
Dodd (D-CT)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Hagel (R-NE)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kerry (D-MA)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Kohl (D-WI)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (ID-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
McCaskill (D-MO)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Nelson (D-NE)
Obama (D-IL)
Pryor (D-AR)
Reed (D-RI)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Salazar (D-CO)
Sanders (I-VT)
Schumer (D-NY)
Smith (R-OR)
Snowe (R-ME)
Specter (R-PA)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Tester (D-MT)
Webb (D-VA)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wyden (D-OR)

NAYs ---42
Alexander (R-TN)
Allard (R-CO)
Bennett (R-UT)
Bond (R-MO)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burr (R-NC)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Craig (R-ID)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Dole (R-NC)
Domenici (R-NM)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Lott (R-MS)
Lugar (R-IN)
Martinez (R-FL)
McConnell (R-KY)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Reid (D-NV)
Roberts (R-KS)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Stevens (R-AK)
Sununu (R-NH)
Thomas (R-WY)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Warner (R-VA)

Not Voting - 3
Brownback (R-KS)
Johnson (D-SD)
McCain (R-AZ)

[KansDem]

15. F**king Brownback didn't vote!

He has his eye on the White House next year, so he's afraid to alienate Kansans.

F**king coward!!!

[dipsydoodle]

22. Over here that's called

brown nosing.x(

[KansDem]

27. "Brownback" --his name is so symbolic of this administration...

[seasat]

16. I notice that all our Pres candidate senators voted

Brownback and McCain chickened out. Hagel voting yea with our folks is kind of suprising the other Repugs aren't though. They're in trouble in the next election. Hagel must be seriously thinking about a presidential bid either as a Repug or independent. Does anyone know if he's supported negotiating prescription prices in the past?

[OnyxCollie]

21. It's a gimmie for Hagel.

He knows it won't go through. He gets to add it to his resume.

DeWine did the same thing last year.

[TwilightGardener]

25. Actually, he really did support it--there was an article in the paper

here about a senior group praising him to the heavens for his agreement to support this, and this group was trying to use Hagel's position to convince Ben Nelson to also support it. McCain also said he WOULD have voted for it, if he could have gotten his sorry old ass back to the Senate to do his actual job instead of campaigning for the next one.

[nealmhughes]

18. How was I able to guess all the Republican Yeas?

[oasis]

19. Rethugs McCain and Brownback duck out on the vote. (eom)

[datadiva]

20. I got tears when I read this

I am already skipping two medications which I need. I can't afford to buy them. I am not yet on Medicare but will be very soon. I don't know how these scumbags can look in the mirror in the morning. I couldn't. Thats the difference between us. We have a concience and care about people. The only thing they care about is making money flow into their pockets. At the expense of the elderly no less.

[OneBlueSky]

23. Big Pharm is one of the "Big Six" -- the industries that effectively run this country . . .

and its government . . . in no particular order:

- Pharmaceuticals
- Healthcare
- Defense
- Agriculture
- Banking
- Media

these six are aided and abetted by many others -- most significantly the Electronic Voting industry . . . collectively, they pretty much control everything that happens in government, unfailingly to their own benefit . . .

[Vinca]

24. The Republicans are very, very stupid people. By choosing

their wallet padders over the citizens, they're handing a super majority to the Democrats next time around. If we can survive until the end of this regime, we'll be okay. It's a shame so many have to suffer in the meantime.

[ryanmuegge]

26. More anti-competition socialism. So much for capitalism.

I thought competition was good.