TUNE IN live: Olympia Snowe on C-SPAN supporting drug re-importation

[rhombus]

Snowe, McCain, Vitter, I think Collins all support this Dorgan amendment. It looks like it will pass after years of denial of passage by Bush.

[DrToast]

1. Are you sure there aren't enough Dems to kill it?

[vaberella]

2. Nope, it seemed a good portion of Dems support this and it was written by a Dem. Dorgan.

[DrToast]

3. Won't this break the deal Obama made?

This should be interesting...

[vaberella]

4. Most likely. However this is also pushed by Snowe---we want her vote remember?!

Fuck Big Pharma.

[DrToast]

5. Oh, I'm all for it

I'm just cautious about getting my hopes up.

[vaberella]

14. understood. Menendez is bashing it and pissing me off. And I hate the FDA.

Their a very corrupt organization.

[rhombus]

6. Obama supports the re-importation amendment

Says the Hill.

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/71387-obama-supports-re-importation-but-fda-doesnt

[vaberella]

8. Hah...even better. So he totally said---fuck you Pharma. I love my Pres.

[phleshdef]

10. Thats because there wasn't any solid deal made. That is and always has been a myth.

[vaberella]

12. That's what I thought. But Iwon't get into that disagreement again.

You remember the drama all over the board. But I agree. I'm excited.

[Mass]

7. It already passed the Senate at least once in 2008 and got lost in conference.

So my guess is that it will pass once again without problem.

[rhombus]

9. Any Dem who votes against this needs to be tarred and feathered

This amendment will save I'm hearing over $100 billion over 10yrs.

[vaberella]

11. It is a good move. Dems will be hurt with this. Repubs are majorly on board. McCain, Grassely, &

Collins and Snowe. Menendez is a problem---because his statements are wrong. I lived in Europe, their form of FDA is so strict, it's disturbing.

[rhombus]

13. Ugh! ANd just like that Bob Menendez (D-NJ) is opposing the amendment

And he's the DSCC chairman. What the heck? The only explanation for this selling out is the huge pharma manufacturing base in NJ.

But still, no excuse to side with Big Pharma with their obscene profits against the people. None.

[Mass]

16. What's the difference between this and the bill he voted for two years ago?

(except of a president from another party?)

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00150

[rhombus]

21. hmm, beats me

I didn't know he voted for something along the same lines in the past.

[vaberella]

22. He's a clown then. nt

[jefferson_dem]

15. Menendez on floor now telling us all how importation sux...

:eyes:

[rhombus]

18. Baucus most likely would vote against the amendment too

I don't like the way he was schmoozing with Menendez with that smirk on his face.

[DrToast]

17. Why go through all this re-importation nonsense?

Why can't we just have the government negotiate rates and have insurance companies buy the drugs from the government?

[rhombus]

19. Because we don't have Single Payer?

Our health care system is too fragmented. It's an inefficient mess.

[DrToast]

20. I'm just talking about drugs

It would be easy to negotiate national rates for drugs and pass those prices on to consumers.

[rhombus]

23. The Drug lobby is the most powerful lobby in Congress

They have always been opposed to any national negotiation deal for their products. This is why a single payer system is the most efficient in terms of negotiating prices. You only have a single customer- you accept or you get dumped.

[vaberella]

24. DORGAN ON!! Oh and Grassely and Kloubacher and Collins like this.

Many Dems support it.

[NCarolinawoman]

25. A lot of the drugs we use (particularly generics) are already made in India,

where the quality control is very haphazard.

So what I would like to know--does this specifically pertain to Canada?

What we need is price control. Even some of those generics made in India can be very expensive.



(edited for punctuation)

[vaberella]

26. Aye? This has nothing to do with Canada. I don't understand your question.

I believe it's the re-importation---meaning 36 nations are on our list for the easy transmission of drugs.

[Kber]

27. Olympia Snowe of MAINE?

Gee - I wonder why.