Update: Reid files cloture motions; TheHill: ‘Pharma deal holding up bipartisan rx health amendment’

Update from Kaiser, appears Dingy Harry is going to pull a fast one and IS blocking the RX Reimportation Bill from a vote, 200 Billion a year Americans spend on their RXs. Well this is just one more nail in the electoral coffin for the Democratic majority:

CongressDaily: “Senate Majority Leader [Harry] Reid plans to file a package of cloture motions next week that would allow a final vote on healthcare legislation before the Senate goes home for Christmas, a leadership aide said today.” He plans to offer “simultaneous cloture motions” for the overall bill, for a substitute amendment and for a manager’s amendment containing “key compromises.” The plan “came to light as senators from both parties wondered why leaders have not scheduled a vote on an amendment to allow reimportation of cheaper prescription drugs, which appears to have enough votes to pass” (Friedman and Edney, 12/10).

In a time of incredibly high unemployment, at least three Democratic Senators are blocking a bipartisan amendment that has the votes to pass, that will save many Americans hundreds of dollars a year or more on their health care costs..

…Democratic senators from states home to pharmaceutical companies, including Tom Carper (Del.), Frank Lautenberg (N.J.) and Robert Menendez (N.J.), object to the amendment, citing concerns about ensuring the safety of medicines entering the U.S. supply chain from foreign sources. Congress Daily has reported that Carper (D-Del.) placed a hold on the amendment, but his office refused to comment to The Hill….

Okay neoprogs and libs still believing in Teh Oneness, riddle me this. Why oh why would The Hill which loves them some Obama report that the WH deal and the 3 Pharma state DEMOCRATIC Senators are blocking a TRUE BIPARTISAN, COST SAVING BILL THAT HAS THE VOTES TO PASS, THAT THIS PRESIDENT CAMPAIGNED ON??? Because it is true.

The message did not seem mixed to McCain, whom Obama defeated in the race for the White House last year. “The fix is in,” he said.

Durbin, asked if they are WHIPPING AGAINST THIS AMENDMENT, didnt say No, he said ‘well we did ask how they are voting…” THE FRAKKERS!!! One of the ONLY effective price reforms that will directly, immediately LOWER healthcare costs to AMERICAN CONSUMERS and they are KILLING IT?

Please call these yahoos and tell them WE DEMAND A VOTE!! Prescription reimportation should be allowed in FREE MARKETS with OPEN TRADE!!!!

TheHill:

A deal between the White House and the pharmaceutical industry is holding up a bipartisan amendment to allow the importation of cheaper prescription drugs from abroad, according to a member of the Senate Democratic leadership.

…Dorgan’s measure, which would permit bulk exports of medicines from countries such as Canada, enjoys broad and bipartisan support and likely has the backing of more than 60 senators, which would guarantee its adoption on the healthcare reform bill.

Tension between the White House and Democratic supporters of the so-called drug reimportation amendment is primarily behind the delay, Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said Thursday.

“There’s a political subtext here,” Durbin said. “It has to do with whether or not we can do as part of the impact on pharma in this bill and whether or not there are other things that are higher priorities.”

The White House and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) struck a deal this summer to limit the drug industry’s financial exposure under reform to $80 billion over 10 years, though its terms have never been fully disclosed.

President Barack Obama was one of the 35 co-sponsors of Dorgan’s drug reimportation legislation when Obama served in the Senate. In addition, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel was a leading supporter of the House version of the bill when he served in the lower chamber….

HYPOCRITES!!!! And these Obots who railed against the Big Dawg and HRC are silent on this????? WTH???!?!?!?

(more…)

December 10, 2009. Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , . Economy, Finance, Healthcare, Obama Administration, Politics, Unemployment Statistics, Wall St. Comments off.

Update: Dems killed amendment allowing reimportation of RXs from Canada…John Barrasso (R-WY, M.D.) on Medicare Advantage and TOTUS plans to kill it…

Update: From CQPolitics the real deal on who killed RXs from Canada:

In spite of its overwhelming focus on overhauling the health care system, the administration has been silent on one of Obama’s signature health care promises: allowing consumers to import drugs made in FDA-approved facilities in countries where they are often sold for less.

During the campaign, Obama charged that some drugmakers were exploiting Americans by charging premiums of as much as 67 percent higher than the prices they charge for the same medicines in Europe and Canada.

But Obama’s administration has since cut a deal with the pharmaceutical industry in which drugmakers promised to provide $80 billion in discounts to seniors and the government over 10 years to help pay the cost of a health system overhaul.

Here’s some more of that irony we referred to:

Ironically, Obama’s 2008 presidential opponent, Sen. John McCain , R-Ariz., offered an amendment during debate on a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee health plan that would have written such an importation provision into law. Democrats helped defeat it by a 10-12 vote, arguing that allowing access to the cheaper drugs from abroad was potentially dangerous in light of all the hazards Americans have faced in recent months from risky imported products.

Courtesy of PoliticsNewsPolitics:

…Barrasso, who is also a doctor, also defends Medicare Advantage plans or Medicare HMO’s, and at the same time takes Obama to task for double talk at town halls, telling people they can “keep the plan they have,” yet Obama admits he wants to eliminate Medicare HMO’s. They accomplish a lot of things “that Medicare doesn’t do,” he argues….

Barrasso is pointing out what Team TOTUS knows, there is NO BILL. That was part of their strategy. Daschle wanted his ABC Anything But Clinton method, with no bill so there would be limited time to criticize it. Well they got what they wanted. A mess. No leadership. ABC right neoprogs? STOP THE MEDICARE CUTS!

Every Senior I know is on Medicare Advantage or wants to be. It DOES cover many “ancillary” services not covered by Medicare, you know, vision, that sort of thing…Eliminating the $150m in Advantage will kill the plan. Especially in rural areas which are already without services…it IS a Medicare cut, period.

When we moderates were leading the party, we used to FIGHT MEDICARE CUTS. But silly me, now we are supposed to pat pharma on the back, block Canadian reimportation of RXS and gut Medicare and call that a victory according to the neoprogressives. Insane.

In other news Mike Ross (D-AR) leader of the Blue Dog coalition, the man who caved and let the HR3200 horror out of Waxman’s Energy Cmte, is on the record that he won’t vote for a bill that kills old people. What a maroon. Not sure if he is serious or facetious. He is the nincompoop who let it out of committee with the IMAC language in it and pgs 432 on which have the SHALL consultations, not MAY consultations, SHALL. That is a big difference in the law, ask any constitutional lawyer/community organizer.


August 16, 2009. Tags: , , , , , , , , , . Economy, Healthcare, Obama Administration, Politics. Comments off.