[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 117 (Friday, August 2, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9457-S9458]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE

  Mr. LOTT. I want to say one other thing, Mr. President, because I 
have been waiting for an opportunity to rise on a point of personal 
privilege.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. LOTT. My integrity has been questioned by a Member of the House 
of Representatives. The Congressman from California, Pete Stark, 
alleged that I had committed an ethical violation because, as the 
majority leader in the U.S. Senate and as a conferee on the conference 
with the House on the health insurance legislation, I urged 
consideration of the conference on a specific issue, this drug that was 
just mentioned.
  Mr. FORD. Drug patent.
  Mr. LOTT. The drug patent. That tells you how much I know about this. 
First of all, I resent the fact that my integrity was impugned. I do 
not act that way. This is not an issue that I have a direct personal 
interest in, even though I understand, I have been told, that this is 
intended to be a dagger aimed at my heart, that we are going to take 
out this drug patent to get at the majority leader.

  Why? This is a product for arthritic patients. It is not produced in 
my State. There is no plant in my State. I do not have a vested 
interest in this. I act at the request of my colleagues in the Senate, 
Republicans and Democrats, Senate and House, as a conferee.
  I was presented this issue as a fairness issue. I talked to a lot of 
different Congressmen and Senators. I talked to Congressman Walker of 
Pennsylvania. He is the first one that mentioned it to me. I did not 
know what he was talking about. There are Democratic Congressmen who 
spoke up in defense of this issue yesterday.
  I remind you, after questioning my integrity, Congressman Stark was 
one of only two--two--House Members who voted against that health 
insurance reform package. He is totally out of order, and I resent it. 
I am not going to tolerate that sort of thing.
  Also, Senators came to me from all over America, Republicans and 
Democrats, saying this is something that ought to be done--Senator 
Gorton of Washington, I do not know what his interest is; Senator 
Specter of Pennsylvania; Senator Santorum. These are good and honorable 
men who made a case for it.
  I have a staff member who is an expert tax lawyer, a woman. We 
discussed it. It seemed like the right thing to do. I urged, if it were 
possible, that this be included in the package.
  That is the whole story. If you are aiming a dagger at my heart, you 
better pick another issue. I ``ain't got no

[[Page S9458]]

dog in this fight.'' I am just trying to help work it out with Senator 
Kassebaum and Senator Kennedy and Democrats and Republicans, House and 
Senate, to get important legislation done for the women and children 
and the sick and the elderly in this country. A drug for arthritis, for 
Heaven's sake. So, you know, take it out; it is OK with me. But before 
you do it, you better check with a lot of Senators, Republicans and 
Democrats, that say they wanted that. But, in conclusion, Mr. 
President, if this is to get at the majority leader, you missed. I 
yield the floor.
  Mr. FORD addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kentucky.
  Mr. FORD. Mr. President, the argument of the majority leader is not 
with us here on this side. It is with Representative Stark over there, 
because we are not in--as he said, our dog is not in that fight. We do 
believe, however, that this drug for arthritis is one that, if you keep 
this language in the bill, will be manufactured for 2 more years and 
the price will be up. It will not be a generic drug.
  That is our legislative problem with this and not an argument between 
the majority leader and Representative Stark. I think they should not 
jump on us. I think we will come together on it.
  But the other side of the coin is there is a legislative problem that 
we would like to try to work out if we could as it relates to the bill. 
If that is possible, we will try to do that. I do not like 
personalities at all. I do not like this, taking another Member on in 
the press. I think it is wrong. I will defend myself. I am just as 
political as the next person, but I try, as best I can, not to be 
personal. I think it is unfortunate.

  Mr. WELLSTONE. Will the Senator yield for a question?
  Mr. FORD. Yes. I will be delighted.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Minnesota.

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