Drug importation stops health care debate

[Armstead]

This is f-in great...Didn't we used to oppose Republicans for trying to stop things like drug importation?

HUFFINGTON POST
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/11/pharma-deal-shuts-down-se_n_388895.html

The White House, aided by Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), is working hard to crush an amendment being pushed by Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) to allow for the reimportation of pharmaceutical drugs from Canada, Senate sources tell the Huffington Post.

As a result, the Senate health care debate has come to a standstill: Carper has placed a "hold" on Dorgan's amendment and in response, Dorgan tells HuffPost, he'll object to any other amendments being considered before he gets a vote on his.

Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) is a lead co-sponsor of Dorgan's amendment. She said she's confident that, as of now, they have the votes they need. "I think that's why we're not having this vote," she said, smiling. The amendment has the support of a number of other Republicans, including Sens. John McCain (Ariz.), Charles Grassley (Iowa), John Thune (S.D.) and David Vitter (La.).

Opponents of the amendment worry that many more Republicans may join the amendment not because they agree with it, but because they want to put the health care bill in jeopardy....

[LovinLife]

1. If the WHite House is really doing this, Obama just lost my support. This is the ultimate

betrayal. I don't know how anyone can defend him after this. This is him being exposed if this is true. Yet again something big that the media really doesn't talk about.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

7. Pfff.

You'll never vote for the democrat party again, right?

:rofl:

[firedupdem]

8. yup...that 'democrat' party does it again! you don't have to work

so hard ya know?

[LovinLife]

9. It's funny that u defend people that are fucking u over. You're like a crazy nut on the right that

continues to defend Bush/Cheney and say that Palin should be POTUS. U should look at yourself in the mirror.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

10. Did you actually vote for Bush twice?

Or weren't you old enough?

[LovinLife]

13. Actually I wasn't old enough in 2000, in 2004 I voted Kerry. I'm a minority so I don't support

the KKK party. But I'll say the Dems are getting to be no better as far as policy goes. If a 3rd progressive party isn't started soon, this country will cease to exist.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

15. No you didn't.

And no you're not.

And yeah, you do.

[LovinLife]

16. Wow, I'm thru. Good luck in life. This isn't worth it. NT

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

17. Become an hero.

[girl gone mad]

23. Just ignore him.

the second coming of OMC is not worth an ounce of worry, in my opinion.

[firedupdem]

11. It's funny that you think you can determine who's getting fucked

and how. Speak for yourself for as long as you stay here. And learn the name of the party while you are at it.

[LovinLife]

14. When they fuck the people over, they're the Democrat party. Some of u are like battered wives.

If u don't fight back, they will continue to slap the hell out of u. I would say leave, but the opposition are crazy and racist. Obama should really be like Lincoln and start a new party. Now that's change.

[firedupdem]

18. I belong to the Democratic Party...again, speak for yourself as

to what party you belong to. Secondly, how are you fighting? Posting shit on a message board? You're advocating a third party again? "Obama should really be like Lincoln and start a new party."...I don't even know what the hell you're talking about there.

[LovinLife]

19. I don't expect u to, good luck in life. Continue to be blind to the fact that the Dems don't care

about the little people. If this Pharm deal doesn't wake u up nothing will. All of the real Dems are viewed as nuts. Liberal extremist. The whole party is going further right by the day. But u want to pretend everything is fine. Have at it.

[firedupdem]

20. LOL!!

:rofl:

okay honey, 'good luck in life'.

[HughMoran]

26. This same post is repeated 20 times a day on DU

Crying wolf no longer carries any weight with me.

[Nite Owl]

2. More no change

to believe in!

[Armstead]

3. To the "unrecommender(s)

What you don't like news articles now?

[timeforpeace]

4. Rec'd. This is big.

[LatteLibertine]

5. Most of them are on a very green drug

and thus our woes.

[LovinLife]

6. Did a reporter ask Gibbs about this 2day? THis is so huge. NT

[Clear Blue Sky]

12. Big Pharma will stop this.

[slipslidingaway]

21. knr - for reference here is the thread from yesterday, could use two more recs...

for the GP.

:hide:

[timeforpeace]

22. Link?

[slipslidingaway]

24. Forgetful me - thanks for noticing ...

Carper Puts Hold on Dorgan Drug Import Amendment

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=433&topic_id=49952&mesg_id=49952

[burning rain]

25. Informative.

Opposing drug importation is bad policy and bad for Democrats politically. :donut:

[HughMoran]

27. My question is: How long would the US be able to import drugs from Canada

...before the drug companies came up with a work-around that would force Canada to ban export?

Isn't this a bass-ackwards way of solving this problem? Why not deal directly with Pharma? I'll assume that our politicians are in the pocket of Pharma and so this is why. Is it time for the people to forcefully retake what is ours from Pharma?

[vaberella]

29. This has nothing to do with Canada, we would be able to b uy drugs from 36 nations. nt

[HughMoran]

31. Interesting

...though I still thought we were reimporting drugs manufactured in the USA for the most part.

[jeanpalmer]

30. "Why not deal directly with Pharma? "

It looks like they already have, if the reports are true about the $80 billion deal Obama cut with them. It's not the deal we want, but it's the deal they made.

Of course, the obvious way to solve this problem is to require Pharma to charge no more in the US than they charge in Canada, or Mexico. But that would require looking out for us.

[TheWebHead]

28. reimportation of drug exports is idiotic

and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out the drug companies, who don't really make any money selling drugs to canada anyways (like with any country having socialized healthcare), are going to ration access thus forcing the canadian government to ban the drug exports to the country that's subsidizing their low cost drugs.

[SharonAnn]

32. The real problem is the drug companies are overcharging Americans because they can.

And they raise prices on existing medications because they can, not because there was any more work or research that went into it.

Pharmaceutical companies spend more money on advertising than on Research and Development.