[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 75 (Wednesday, June 2, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H3610]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY ON THE TAKE

  (Mr. DeFAZIO asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. DeFAZIO. Well, the pharmaceutical companies have a friend in the 
White House. Since George Bush has been President, pharmaceutical 
prices have gone up five times as fast as the cost-of-living 
adjustments for Social Security, five times faster than inflation, and 
now we have passed the phony prescription drug benefit under Medicare 
that provides these bizarre discount cards which put all the obligation 
on the seniors and none on the pharmaceutical companies.
  They jacked up the prices of the most common drugs taken by seniors 
by up to 30 percent in the last year. Now they are going to give them a 
15 percent discount. Just like the used car dealer, he jacked up the 
price 2,000 bucks before you walked on the lot, and then he says, I 
will give you a $1,000 discount. Hey, what a great deal.
  That is what is being done to America's seniors under the leadership 
of this President and the Republican leaders of this House who are in 
the pocket and on the take from the pharmaceutical industry.

                          ____________________