Senate kills lower prescription prices

By Free Press Editor Joe Spear

The U.S. Senate could not muster enough votes on an proposal to allow imports of safe prescription drugs from Canada as part of the health care reform bill.

We all lose as this was one non-government, market-driven way to reduce health care spending with good old American competition and capitalism.

As The Free Press vote watching service Thomas Reports Inc., notes "Voting 51 for and 48 against, the Senate on Dec. 15 failed to reach 60 votes needed to pass an amendment under which individuals and businesses could import U.S.-made, federally approved pharmaceuticals from Canada and other countries at retail costs much lower than in U.S. stores. This amendment was offered to a pending health-care bill (HR 3590).

Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., said: "I have a beef with (a drug) industry that decides they are going to overcharge the American people, in some cases 10 times more, in some cases...double the price that is paid in other parts of the world for the identical drug."

Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., said: "As much as we want to cut costs for consumers, we cannot afford to cut corners and risk exposing Americans to drugs that are ineffective or unsafe."

Lautenberg, by the way, has many large pharmaceutical companies in his state. And they seem to be generous supporting his campaign with contributions.

Minnesota senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken voted in favor of imports, and as noted previously, this proposal has had bipartisan support and been passed in varying forms through almost 15 years. That legislation always contained a "poison pill" list of bureaucratic regulations that effectively killed its practical implementation.

The pharmaceutical companies, with new bulldog lobbyist Billy Tauzin, have been tenacious as a pitbull hanging on to a bloody limb in fighting this for years. (Sorry about mixing my dog metaphors).

It's too bad someone can find stick to whack this pitbull.

Tauzin is the former powerful representative from Louisiana, of Cajun descent, Democrat turned Republican, majority whip for both parties, and eventually chairman of the committee that, surprise, surprise, regulated pharmaceuticals.

He left Congress in 2004, but take a look at the industries that supported him. In 2002, these industries were even more generous.