[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 70 (Tuesday, May 24, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5854-S5855]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. GRASSLEY (for himself, Mr. Lott, Mr. Santorum, and Mr. 
        Ensign):
  S. 1113. A bill to provide that no Federal funds may be expended for 
the payment or reimbursement of a drug that is prescribed for the 
treatment of sexual or erectile dysfunction; to the Committee on 
Finance.
  Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, over the past three decades, 
prescription medicines have assumed a central and critical role in 
treating health care conditions. Every year, researchers make new 
discoveries that help patients cope with illnesses and improve their 
quality of life. Ensuring access to prescription drugs--to treatments 
that can help people maintain their health and avoid costly 
hospitalizations, for example--is a fundamental responsibility of our 
Federal health programs. We would not have worked as hard as we did to 
establish the first-ever Medicare prescription drug benefit if we did 
not believe this to be true. At the same time, we have a tremendous 
responsibility to be good stewards of taxpayers' dollars. I, for one, 
take that responsibility very seriously.
  In 2004, our nation spent $1.8 trillion on health care. Medicare 
spending accounted for 17 percent of that amount. In 2005, Medicaid 
spending is expected to reach $321 billion. The Federal government 
offers me and other Federal employees health coverage through the 
Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP). The Department of 
Defense has TRICARE for military personnel, and the Veterans' 
Administration provides an important source of health care access to 
those who proudly served our country. Year after year, the costs of 
these and other Federal health care programs continue to rise. Year 
after year, we are forced to make difficult decisions to find ways to 
save money under these programs with the goal of sustaining them well 
into the future.
  In contrast to those decisions, the bill that I am introducing today 
was not difficult for me at all. By eliminating all Federal payments 
for certain ``lifestyle'' drugs, the legislation restores the 
fundamental concept of stewardship to prescription drug coverage under 
Federal programs. It is a pretty simple piece of legislation--no 
payment for drugs prescribed for sexual or erectile dysfunction under 
any Federal program, period. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) 
estimated that Medicare and Medicaid alone will spend $2 billion on 
these drugs between 2006 and 2015. In my opinion, those dollars could 
be spent more wisely.
  When we crafted the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003, our 
bipartisan agreement sought to strike the most reasonable balance for 
Medicare beneficiaries and hard working taxpayers. We wanted to make 
sure that beneficiaries had access to life-saving and life-improving 
medicines. Now some certainly may argue that these ``lifestyle'' drugs 
can improve your life. I

[[Page S5855]]

appreciate that view. However, we live in a world of limited resources, 
and in that world of limited resources coverage of these ``lifestyle'' 
drugs under Medicare--or any other Federal program, in my opinion--is 
inconsistent with that goal of balance. I am pleased to join with 
Senators Lott, Santorum, and Ensign in working to rectify that 
situation today and urge my colleagues to join us in cosponsoring this 
important legislation.
                                 ______