[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 9 (Wednesday, January 17, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E129]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICE NEGOTIATION ACT OF 2007

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. JOHN D. DINGELL

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, January 12, 2007

  Mr. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I submit the following for the Record for 
H.R. 4.


                                American Diabetes Association,

                                     Alexandria, VA, Jan 12, 2007.
     Hon. Shelley Moore Capito,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Representative Capito: On behalf of the 20.8 million 
     adults and children living with diabetes in the United 
     States, we write to let you know that the American Diabetes 
     Association remains neutral on the issue of requiring the 
     Department of Health and Human Services to negotiate for 
     lower drug prices.
       We understand that leading up to the debate on the Medicare 
     Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act of 2007 (H.R. 4) your 
     office received a letter from one of the Association's local 
     offices asking that you vote against H.R. 4. While we respect 
     your right to have read the letter you received on the floor 
     of the U.S. House of Representatives on January 12, 2007, we 
     must retract the opposition offered in that letter. The 
     structure of our Association is one in which all policy 
     positions come out of the National Office and the letter you 
     received was crafted in error. With regard to H.R. 4, the 
     Association took no formal position.
       Please know that the availability and cost of medications 
     is of great importance to the Association. However, we have 
     historically not been involved to the level of supporting or 
     opposing specific strategies through which to lower prices or 
     make medications available. When Part D was proposed and 
     debated, for example, we remained neutral on the actual 
     market-based construct of the program.
       Thank you for your understanding of this situation. And, 
     again please accept our apologies for the confusion. If you 
     have any questions or would like to further discuss our 
     position, please have your staff contact Andrea LaVeccia, 
     Associate Manager of Government Affairs and Advocacy at (703) 
     253-2323.
           Sincerely,

                                               James Schlicht,

                                         Executive Vice President,
     Government Affairs & Advocacy.

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