[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 103 (Thursday, July 25, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S7327]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

  Ms. STABENOW. Madam President, I rise this morning to comment on 
another very important topic that is before us and to urge my 
colleagues to come together to get something done. We have been talking 
a lot about Medicare and the fact it is outdated, that it needs to be 
modernized to cover prescription drugs.
  We had a very significant vote 2 days ago. It was historic. It was 
the first time the Senate, since 1965, has come together to vote to 
modernize Medicare. A majority of us, 52 Members, voted yes. I commend 
my Republican colleague--which was the one Republican vote joining us--
the Senator from Illinois, for joining us in that effort.
  A statement was made by a majority of the Senate, and I believe it 
reflects the will of the majority of Americans. We have a health care 
system for older Americans, a promise of comprehensive health care for 
older Americans and the disabled that was put into place in 1965. It 
has worked. The only problem is that the health care system has 
changed. We all know that. We have all talked about it many times.
  What I find disturbing at this moment, in light of the fact that we 
need 60 votes--we need 8 more people; we need 8 of our Republican 
colleagues from the other side of the aisle to join us to actually make 
this happen--in light of the success of Medicare, too many times I am 
hearing words such as ``big Government program'' from my Republican 
colleagues in the House. They refer to Medicare as a ``big Government 
program,'' and there are times I have heard that in this debate from 
the other side of the aisle.
  I am here to say I think Medicare is a big American success story. It 
is a big American success story, just as Social Security is a big 
American success story and one that we should celebrate.

  I worry, as I hear comments from our President about moving in the 
direction of wanting to privatize Social Security, wanting to move 
Medicare to the private sector and privatize it, that we are moving 
away from not only a commitment made but a great American success 
story. It has worked, and I think often now of those people such as 
Enron employees or WorldCom employees who have lost their life savings 
who have said to me: Thank God for Social Security and Medicare or I 
would have nothing. If Medicare was not there, they would have no 
health care.
  These are great American success stories. At this time in 2002, at 
this moment in July, we have an opportunity to make history so that 
when others read the history books and look back, they will find we 
took the next step to modernize a system that provided health care for 
older Americans and the disabled for over 35 years.
  I want to read a couple of stories from Michigan. I have set up a 
prescription drug people's lobby in Michigan and asked people to share 
their stories and to get involved because we know there is such a large 
lobby on the other side.
  As we all know and have said so many times, there are six drug 
company lobbyists for every one Member of the Senate. Their voice is 
heard every day. It is also heard on TV. It is heard on the radio. 
There is a full-page ad in Congress Daily from the drug company lobby 
that was brought to my attention urging us to oppose the amendment we 
passed to open the border to Canada.
  Heaven forbid that we add more competition. Heaven forbid that 
American citizens be able to buy American-made drugs that they helped 
create through taxpayer dollars, but they are sold in Canada for half 
the price they are sold in the United States. Heaven forbid that 
American consumers would have the chance to do that. So they have an 
ad, and I am sure there are many more. I am not sure how much it costs. 
I prefer the money that is being spent on this ad and other ads on 
television and the $10 million being spent on ads supporting the drug 
company version would be put into a Medicare benefit or lowering 
prices. That would be certainly much more constructive in the long run.
  The reality is that something has to be done because the system is 
just out of control, and it will not change unless we act because there 
is too much money at stake. Just as we have debated corporate 
responsibility in other settings--and I applaud colleagues who have 
come together to agree on a final plan related to legislation for 
corporate responsibility and accountability--this, too, is an issue of 
corporate responsibility, corporate ethics, as it relates to pricing 
lifesaving medicine. And how far is too far?
  Let me share stories that have come to me from various individuals in 
Michigan. This is one from Christopher Hermann in Dearborn Heights, MI. 
He writes:

       I am a nurse practitioner providing primary care to 
     veterans. I am receiving many new patients seeking 
     prescription assistance after they have been dropped by 
     traditional plans and can no longer afford medications. Many 
     of them have more than $1,000 a month in prescription drug 
     costs.
       The vets are lucky. We can provide the needed service. 
     Their spouses and neighbors are not so lucky.
       I also have such a neighbor. Al is 72, self-employed all 
     his life with hypertension. When he runs out of his meds 
     due to lack of money, his blood pressure goes so high he 
     has to go to the emergency room and be admitted to prevent 
     a stroke. I provide assistance through pharmaceutical 
     programs, but this is not guaranteed each month. We either 
     pay the $125 per month for his medications, or Medicare 
     pays $5,000-plus each time he is admitted. It is pretty 
     simple math to me. It is pretty simple math.

  We can either help people with their blood pressure medicine or 
medicine for their heart or medicine for sugar and all the other issues 
that need to be dealt with or we can pick up the pieces with 
hospitalization or worse that ultimately costs more to the system.
  I very much appreciate Christopher Hermann sharing this story. I will 
not share more this morning. I thank those who have been sharing their 
stories with me.
  I will close with one other story that was shared with me that has 
stuck with me since I read it a few weeks ago, and that was a little 
girl from Ypsilanti, MI. I have talked about this before, but I think 
this is important to remind us of what this legislation is about. She 
wrote a letter to me telling me that her grandma stopped taking her 
medicine at Christmas in order to buy Christmas presents for the 
grandkids. She later had health problems and passed away.
  There is something wrong with the United States of America when 
grandmas are not taking lifesaving medicine to buy Christmas presents 
for their grandchildren. Ultimately, that is what this debate is about. 
It is about taking a great American success story, called Medicare, and 
simply updating it for the times. Let's say no to the drug companies 
and yes to all the grandmas and the grandpas across the country and to 
everyone who is counting on us to do the right thing.
  I thank the Chair, and I yield the floor.

                          ____________________