House Watch--24 July 2003--Drug Reimportation and Head Start.

[goobergunch]

House just rejected motion to adjourn offered by Mrs. Slaughter.

Currently under consideration: H. Res. 335, the rule for the Drug Reimportation bill.

RealPlayer: http://play.rbn.com/?url=cspan/g2cspan/live/cspan1-g2.rm&proto=rtsp

[goobergunch]

1. Slaughter: Very important vote...

are we w/ PHARMA or w/ the constitutents?

Yields balance of time to Dan Burton. (1:10)

Burton: I've never seen the pressure like on this bill. It's not about safety, it's about $$. It's not about health, it's about $$ made on backs of Amer people. <applause> Gives example...costs more than 6/7 times as much as in Canada...is life worth less in U.S.?? <applause> When voting, consider woman dying of breast cancer...how do you tell her that she could get drugs in Canada for 1/6 the price in U.S.? Pass bill to send message to Pharma <applause>.

Presiding Officer demands order.

[teryang]

8. Burton was really good

He's got the drug companies number. He's sick of their bullshit. What research goes into 3 year variations on Hatch Waxman patents. What about drugs no longer in patent at all? Why are they 50 to 70 percent cheaper in Canada? Drug companies spend more on advertising than they do on R&D. Much "R&D" is spent on extending patents with marginal variations on an expired theme so generics can't get the market.

[goobergunch]

2. McCrery (R-LA) recognized for 4 minutes

Americans pay unfair share of costs. Proper way to address is not importation, like this bill. Continues to argue phony "safety" issue, pointing at HHS. Continues to blabber about this issue....something about FDA resources.

Presiding officer calls for order.

Continues to beat safety issue. Chart: comparing Gutknecht (good) chart and complains about German price controls and generic forms.

Presiding officer demands order.

Calls for negative vote.

[goobergunch]

3. Sessions (R-TX) for 1:30

We need to pass prescription drug plan by Repukes, not this one...demands "yes" on rule and "no" on base bill...continues to blabber about H.R. 1 good, H.R. 2427 bad.

Moves previous question.

[goobergunch]

4. VOTE-Rule for H.R. 2427

Roll No. 439-On Ordering the Previous Question on the Rule ADOPTED Yeas 414 Nays 10

This vote closes the rule to amendments. The rule is a "closed rule", meaning no amendments. We don't want amendments permitted to this bill because the Repukes will try to kill it...remember Shays-Meehan from last year. Correct Vote is :thumbsup:.

Rule Adopted by Voice Vote.

[Pastiche423]

5. Quite a number of excellent

speeches given, one by my rep, Pete DeFazio, another by Kucinich. And am I losing it? Weren't some repugs for it as well?


On edit: typo and changed "against" to "for".

I get confused. lol

[goobergunch]

9. There's a lot of Republicans for this bill...

the main sponsor is Gil Gutkecht (R-MN) and some of its main supporters are Dan Burton (R-IN) and Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO).

[Alexander]

6. Where do you get this information?

C-Span, I assume? I thank you for keeping us posted, BTW.

[Pastiche423]

7. C-Span 1

[goobergunch]

10. C-SPAN 1

I'll put a link up on an edit.

[goobergunch]

11. VOTE-Rule for H.R. 2210, the Head Start authorization bill

Roll No. 440-Slaughter Motion to Adjourn REJECTED...C-SPAN didn't cut away from Cheney fast enough to hear Yeas and Nays.

This is a 15-minute vote on a dilatory Democratic motion.

Previous Question ordered on H. Res. 336. Resolution then agreed to by Voice Vote.

H. Res. 336 provides for consideration of H.R. 2210, the "Gut the Head Start Program" bill. The following is the procedure for considering this bill.

1 hour of general debate evenly divided between Boehner and George Miller.
The Castle Substitute Amdt. shall be considered as the bill in lieu of the original bill.
The following amendments are in order:
Woolsey Amdt. 1, to restore civil rights protections to Head Start teachers (20 minutes).
George Miller Sub Amdt. 2, which retains longstanding civil rights protections currently guaranteed to Head Start teachers, parents, and volunteers and removes the block grant from the underlying bill (60 minutes).

[goobergunch]

12. yuck

C-SPAN's showing Cheney's speech during Vote 440.

[goobergunch]

13. H.R. 2210, the Head Start bill, now under consideration

Presiding officer calls House to order.

House goes to Cmte of the Whole for consideration of H.R. 2210. LaHood is Presiding Officer.

SCHEDULE-Announced by DeLay

Head Start bill-about 2 hrs 20 minutes before vote, then Drug Reimportation bill voted on around 1 AM.

Reconvene tomorrow at 9 AM-motion to instruct HR 1308 conferees, supplemental on FEMA and fires, then go to VA/HUD. Adjournment tomorrow around 5 PM.

DIVISION OF TIME

Mr. Boehner-30:00
Mr. George Miller-30:00

[goobergunch]

14. Mr. Boehner (R-OH) recognized for such time as consumed

Supports H.R. 2210...says that bill will close readiness gap and thanks Castle (sponsor) for dedication for disadvantage children.

Says that bill represents consensus agreement...argues that system badly needs fixing.

Continues to blabber about why he supports this :puke: bill.

Wants nothing better than excellence and says that Head Start will be strengthened, not dismantled. Who does he think he's kidding?

(I am not transcribing all of these speeches...I have to log off by 9 PM and I want to post somewhere besides this thread.)

[goobergunch]

15. George Miller recognized for 4 minutes

Rises in strong opposition to bill.

This legislation decreases standards and accountability. We should not be tinkering with this program. Standards are currently high quality and Head Start is premier pre-K program for poor children. Boehner is wrong...Head Start children are doing as well as peers.

This bill makes many improvements, but provides for block grants which are BAD. These circumvent standards and comprehensive services. No evidence that this system is better than current system.

This is an all-out assault on the current Head Start program

Yields self additional minute.

We have consistently approved this program, but now we see a partisan assault on bipartisan coalition that gives services to children.

Yields self 30 seconds.

People will have to stop attending Head Start because of authorization caps.

[goobergunch]

16. I've got to go before Castle's time is up...

anybody want to take it from here?

Castle (R-DE) speaking now...recognized for 4 minutes.

[kainah]

17. Also, they will NOT take up DC bill tomorrow

Which means they don't want to get into the vouchers debate. They seem to be recognizing some weaknesses. Must be frustrating the hell out of DeLay.

[kainah]

18. Voting now on Woolsey amendment

which would strike the religious discrimination language. Right now, they are taking phone calls during the vote and it is QUITE amazing. Almost all women & ALL OF THEM so far are against these Head Start changes. Several have said they have been repugs but this is the end for them. One woman was crying because she was so scared, "what will happen to my kids?"

Now a guy on the repug line: "I'm disappointed in my fellow republicans. ...things they are saying have not matched things that I were told by repug legislative staff members." In other words, he called his congressman and was told something different from what he's heard on the floor.

Very interesting. Very bad move, repugs.

[NewJerseyDem]

19. Head Start passes

The republican bill passed by one vote. They had to force a few Republicans to change their votes and were finally able to get enough to get it passed. It is funny how the Republicans can't get any bill through until after the time is expired and they have to start threatening. I wonder which Republicans fell victim to DeLay this time.

[otohara]

20. Dems Were Impressive Today

I only watched during the Head Start debate, they ripped Bush & GOP new ones.