Pres Obama opposes Senate drug importation amendment!...

[waterscalm]

He loves the drug companies!!

http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/71307-fda-opposes-senate-drug-importation-amendmen

FDA opposes Senate drug importation amendment offered to healthcare bill
By Jeffrey Young - 12/08/09 07:05 PM ET

A proposal to enable the importation of cheaper prescription drugs could endanger the U.S. medicine supply and would be difficult to implement, the Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday

These criticisms from Margaret Hamburg, President Barack Obama’s FDA commissioner, could prove damaging to an effort by a broad coalition to enact the longstanding goal of easing consumers’ access to prescription drugs from countries such as Canada, where the prices are generally lower than in the United States.

Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) introduced his amendment to the healthcare bill on Tuesday with the support of 19 other senators, including four Republicans, setting up a vote Wednesday.

“U.S. consumers are charged the highest prices in the world for FDA-approved prescription drugs, and that’s just not fair,” Dorgan said in a statement.

But the Obama administration’s declaration on the eve of the vote could derail the amendment despite the fact that Obama co-sponsored Dorgan’s drug imports bill while a member of the Senate and that White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel was a vocal proponent of the House version of the bill when he served as a member of the lower chamber.

[MNDemNY]

1. Yup, he already made a "deal" with pharma, so we would not go after this, or forcing ..

negotiated pricing".

[AndyA]

2. Yes, I'm sure the drugs up in Canada are inferior to the ones here in the U.S.

Why, there isn't a day that goes by without some news story about more Canadians dropping dead from low quality presciption drugs...

Oh wait...


Sorry, that story is about Americans dropping dead in the United States because they can't afford prescription drugs!

Obama... :wtf:

[msongs]

3. whatever happened to medicare drug price "negotiations" using buying power? nt

[MNDemNY]

4. Went the way of war crimes prosecution. Gone-baby-gone.

[waterscalm]

6. The House bill had included a graded version of getting rid ot the donut hole but

it was over a long number of years.

[slipslidingaway]

13. Medicare drug negotitions are needed, esp. with the influx of the baby...

boom generation into the Medicare program.

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[freddie mertz]

7. Another nail in the coffin of this presidency.

Shit, we really did get punk'd.

[Deja Q]

9. Let's see what gets signed by the President with the overall reform first,

maybe I'm naive or maybe I want to keep my mind open.

Like the whiners will do anything like revolt.

Even Michael Moore isn't starting any revolts, like how he tells others how they should. What does that really tell people? ;)

[freddie mertz]

10. I will wait. But I am very disappointed as of right now.

And what is worse, I fear that the foundations of political failure (ie, big Dem losses in the next two elections) are being sown by these bad policy decisions.

[dmr]

21. Yea, I'm going to keep an open mind here, too

This all may be a coordinated good guy-bad guy political dance.

[vaberella]

29. Well the President has publicly supported it today. n/t

[vaberella]

28. The article posted by the OP is false. Obama publicly supported reimportation today.

Get your facts before you spout nonsense.

[Deja Q]

8. Canadian drugs are dangerous... until the media mentions the drug being recalled back to China.

http://www.google.com/search?q=china+drug+recall+2009

http://www.google.com/search?q=china+drug+recall+2007

Oh well. At least US customers can pay the higher prices, which translates into subsidized costs for everyone else in the world.

[slipslidingaway]

15. Sanders just mentioned that half of the Heparin produced uses a

component made in China.

:shrug:

http://www.c-spanarchives.org/library/index.php?main_page=product_video_info&products_id=NULL&showVid=true

[slipslidingaway]

11. Sanders currently speaking on the Dorgan amendment n/t

[PVnRT]

12. Is Hamburg doing this on her own, or with Obama's OK?

Granted, he's the man in charge, but this could also be some half-cocked statement from an administrator acting independently.

[rhombus]

14. McCain on C-SPAN blasting Obama and Rahm

Bizzaro world. I'm cheering on McCain. McCain is a co-sponsor of the re-importation bill.

[slipslidingaway]

16. Nelson speaking, wants more than the 80 billion deal, he will offer

his amendment on dual eligibles that was defeated in committee.

[eleny]

17. Didn't Obama campaign on supporting this issue?

k&r

[MNDemNY]

18. He has since become "enlightened" as to it's "downside"

The downside being support of Pharma groups.

[slipslidingaway]

22. Yes, he also supported the negotiation of prices for all Medicare enrollees...

but I do not see the administration pushing for this in the current discussions.

The plan mentioned saving a possible 30 billion per year, which was based on prices negotiated by the Veterans Administration.

:shrug:

Also in this plan it states the public option would be open to Any American - things change.

:(

page 5
http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/issues/HealthCareFullPlan.pdf

"...Allow Medicare to negotiate for cheaper drug prices. The 2003 Medicare Prescription Drug
Improvement and Modernization Act bans the government from negotiating down the prices of
prescription drugs, even though the Department of Veterans Affairs’ negotiation of prescription drug
prices with drug companies has garnered significant savings for taxpayers.32

Barack Obama and Joe Biden will repeal the ban on direct negotiation with drug companies and use the resulting savings, which could be as high as $30 billion to further invest in improving health care coverage and quality..."

[eleny]

26. Sorry for the delay in my reply

I had an appointment earlier and didn't see your reply before I left.

Thanks so much for this link. I appreciate your taking the time to find their plan and post it. I'm saving this for when the alleluia chorus sings about what they promised during the campaign, I'll have it. This is not just some off the cuff comment at a rally. This is their plan on paper. Seniors are still struggling with the cost of drugs and this 180 turn is a bait and switch deal.

If things have changed since I left the house earlier I'd be so glad to be wrong.

[phleshdef]

30. You gonna listen to fucking liars or facts. White House said today they SUPPORT the amendment.

[eleny]

32. If you read my posting....

...you would have read that I would be happy to be wrong if other facts came out while I was out of the house earlier.

So, no, I didn't hear what the WH said today. Save your rage for someone else.

In fact, welcome to my Ignore list. Please take the last word since I won't see it.

[slipslidingaway]

36. No need for nasty remarks, we were speaking not only of the current Dorgan...

amendment, but the Obama plan to save close to 300 billion over 10 years by negotiating for drug prices for all Medicare enrollees, as mentioned in the Obama health care plan.

So what exactly was the 80 billion dollar deal with Billy Tauzin?

Could we save another 220 billion in addition to the 80 billion using VA prices...
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/slipslidingaway/110

Senator Carper Publicly Defends Secret PhRMA Deal In Exchange For Support Ads
http://journals.democraticunderground.com/slipslidingaway/112

[slipslidingaway]

34. You're welcome, I would like to hear the administration speak out more....

on negotiating drug prices for all seniors as they outlined in the plan.

Whether or not Obama is in favor of the Dorgan amendment today is not clear, I do know that Sebelius recently said the FDA is not up to the task quite yet of monitoring importation of drugs.

:shrug:

http://bulletin.aarp.org/yourhealth/policy/articles/medicare_part_d.html

"...There’s another congressional attempt now to legalize importing of prescription drugs from Canada. The practice has been legalized twice—during the last two administrations—but the laws were never implemented because they required the Health secretary to guarantee safety. Would you implement it?

“We are trying to get the Food and Drug Administration back up to be a 21st-century regulatory agency. We are really trying to fortify and reenergize the FDA, get some of our new offices up and running in various parts of the world. And I think there’s a great deal of concern that we are not well-equipped right now to take on a major exercise in adequate screening and safety measures for a massive importation program.”

[cali]

19. Sickening. Just sickening.

[vaberella]

31. What is sickening is your total opposition to health reform and lack of the facts.

Obama supported the reimportation amendment publicly today.

[Cha]

38. It is sickening when propaganda is

brought on board and DUers lap it up like a cat on cream.

[mkultra]

20. canadian drugs are price fixed

so either we fix our own prices or negotiate prices with pharma. Letting in their drugs is kinda ass backward. Same drugs at price fixed levels.

[slipslidingaway]

23. I agree, go back to what the Obama plan promised ....

http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/issues/HealthCareFullPlan.pdf

Almost 300 billion in savings vs. the 80 billion deal.

"...Allow Medicare to negotiate for cheaper drug prices. The 2003 Medicare Prescription Drug
Improvement and Modernization Act bans the government from negotiating down the prices of
prescription drugs, even though the Department of Veterans Affairs’ negotiation of prescription drug
prices with drug companies has garnered significant savings for taxpayers.32

Barack Obama and Joe Biden will repeal the ban on direct negotiation with drug companies and use the resulting savings, which could be as high as $30 billion,33 to further invest in improving health care coverage and quality..."

[jberryhill]

43. I agree

"Re-importation" from Canada seems to miss the point about *why* the prices are lower in Canada.

And they sure won't stay lower if we end up shipping drugs to Canada to have them turn around and come back.

We gave these companies generous tax incentives to establish manufacturing facilities in Puerto Rico. It's time to call in that chit.

[babylonsister]

24. Except your title is utter bullshit...unrec~

President Obama supports re-importation, but the FDA does not

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x46791

[phleshdef]

25. White House said today that he SUPPORTS it and just wants to make sure safety concerns are addressed

[quiller4]

27. You have it wrong. Obama Admin announced again today that it supports the reimportation bill.

[Baltoman991]

33. Geez, thats funny,

I heard him say today he supports it. I guess I shouldn't believe what I hear from his mouth and believe what the great media prints.

Sorry, I'm reminded daily on this board of what Obama was talking about when he said unless you hear it from my mouth, don't believe it.

And to those who think this is another nail in his presidency, I say, sorry, the story is a lie.

[and-justice-for-all]

35. I should buy my meds from the UK...

because ANY drug is only 10USD.

[CTLawGuy]

37. I don't agree with this

I hope he reconsiders.

[vaberella]

39. Did you read the posts above yours?! The article is false.

I and others heard him publicly support this amendment today. Don't believe everything that's printed and certainly things posted by someone who has made it a point to scavange every bloody negative or moderately negative ---or let me rephrase; that may deemed to be a negative against the President.

In any event the posters article was debunked today publicly by the President, who showed his support and backing of the motion.

[CTLawGuy]

41. I did read that today!

thanks for letting me know!

[Undercurrent]

40. Not true!

President Obama supports re-importation, but the FDA does not

12/09/09

President Barack Obama still supports the re-importation of pharmaceuticals from other countries even though a deal he struck with the drug industry specifically excluded provisions on the controversial measure.


Asked by The Hill on Tuesday if Obama backs the re-importation effort, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said, “Yes. The president said during the campaign that he did. said so in his first budget, assuming that safety concerns … could be addressed. And I think that’s the key.”


Gibbs’s comments could bolster the chances that a bipartisan amendment on drug re-importation will attract the necessary 60 votes. The measure, sponsored by Sens. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.), Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and John McCain (R-Ariz.), is scheduled to be debated on the floor on Wednesday or Thursday.


The White House and Senate Democrats this summer struck a deal with the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) on healthcare reform. The industry pledged to support the movement to reform the nation’s healthcare system and offered to find $80 billion in savings on drugs sold in the U.S.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x46791
http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/71387-obama-supports-re-importation-but-fda-doesnt

[waterscalm]

42. yes, The Hill later updated its story when they asked Gibbs. I am

very happy to see Pres. Obama will support this effort.