Dorgan amendment goes down and is withdrawn. The vote was 51-49 and required 60 votes for passage.

[flpoljunkie]

Lautenberg bill vote to nullify Dorgan bill up next. It will pass, of course, and be lauded by PhRMA.

[Captain Hilts]

1. NJ hearts PhRMA!

[Jersey Devil]

3. You have that right

We have many, many pharm companies based in NJ and sadly, I must conclude that Lautenberg is in their pockets, along with over 60 members of the Senate.

[Jackpine Radical]

2. The rape continues.

[flpoljunkie]

4. Dorgan is speaking against the Lautenberg bill-which he says maintains the status quo.

The FDA will not approve reimportation of drugs, as it has in the past, with presidents both Democratic and Republican. PhRMA money rules!

[Captain Hilts]

5. Dorgan, like Waxman, is one of the true, unacclaimed tough guy progessives. nt

[Armstead]

7. That's true...He's been ahead on many issues over time

[Captain Hilts]

9. And doesn't get credit for it because he's from a flat state and has weird hair. nt

[valerief]

6. Why does Congress hate America? nt

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

8. IMO, essentially a non-issue anyway.

Easy come, easy go.

The reason that Canada has low costs on drugs is because they have a single-payer system. The Canadian government makes a deal with the pharma companies to buy drugs on bulk at a reduced rate. If you suddenly had a case were 300 million Americans were buying drugs through Canada, you'd end up with the Pharma companies jacking the rates, or more likely to prevent that happening, Canada would just outlaw the reimportation from their side, rendering the amendment pointless. So I think it was no real fix to the problem.

[global1]

10. And Who Were The Nine Dems That Voted Against?........nt

[vaberella]

12. Menendez, Baucus, and a few others I'm sure. n/t

[global1]

11. Deleted - Duplicate Post.....nt

[flpoljunkie]

13. Lautenberg bill fails, as well. Vote was 56-43. PhRMA got what they paid for-the status quo.

[flpoljunkie]

14. Apparently a deal has been struck to close the Medicare 'donut hole' by 2019.

One of those things that developed in the intervening period: a deal to kill the Dorgan amendment in exchange for closing the so-called doughnut hole -- the period of time when Medicare recipients must pay the full cost of drugs.

HuffPost asked Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), who is generally supportive of reimportation but voted against, why he did so.

"The colloquy yesterday, between Leader Reid and Chairman Baucus and Chairman Dodd, did not happen in a vacuum," said Whitehouse, carefully choosing his words. A colloquy is a public conversation on the Senate floor that often is used to ratify a deal struck in private.

What was the subject of the colloquy?

"Closing the doughnut hole," said Whitehouse. A senate Democratic aide confirmed that the doughnut-hole move was largely made in exchange for votes to kill Dorgan's amendment. "That was more or less the arrangement," he said. (The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.)

Dorgan was asked if he was aware of the deal. "You'll have to ask others that," he said.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/12/15/doughnuts-for-dorgan-drug_n_393527.html