[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 10 (Thursday, January 18, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E146]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICE NEGOTIATION ACT OF 2007

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. STEVEN R. ROTHMAN

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, January 12, 2007

  Mr. ROTHMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4, the Medicare 
Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act of 2007, because we owe our 
seniors a drug benefit program that is accessible and affordable. I 
believe that this legislation brings us one step closer.
  My fellow Democrats and I were outraged that the current Medicare 
Part D drug benefit forces many elderly beneficiaries to choose between 
their medication and basic needs, such as food and utilities. The 
health concerns of our elderly Medicare beneficiaries are urgent, and I 
am proud that we have now passed legislation that will arm the 
Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services with an 
additional tool to address these needs.
  The intent of H.R. 4 is to open a path of negotiation of drug prices 
to remove the burden of affordability from the shoulders of our 
elderly. This bill should neither tie the hands of private drug plans, 
nor create unnecessary hurdles for the pharmaceutical companies that 
develop life-saving medicine. Rather, the intent is to give the 
Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services the needed 
authority to effectively and efficiently offer affordable prices to 
seniors.
  We need Medicare Part D to be a benefit, and not a burden, to our 
friends and neighbors who use it. The fact that these individuals could 
get prescription drugs cheaper through Canada, Drugstore.com, or Costco 
is not only a disservice to Americans who trust Medicare for the 
healthcare they need-it is not good public policy. Every year, premiums 
and drug prices rise, and seniors are forced to bear more and more of 
the cost of their healthcare.
  However, we cannot let this bill and its provisions become the tool 
that kills the goose that lays the golden eggs. The United States is 
the international leader of pharmaceutical and medical innovation. 
Every year, we achieve numerous historical breakthroughs in medicine 
and treatment that improve the quality of life of millions of 
Americans, due to the research and dedication of our pharmaceutical 
companies and their tens of thousands of employees. It is because of 
American innovation that an HIV/AIDS or cancer diagnosis is no longer a 
death sentence; that an athlete and an amputee can be the same person; 
and that a child with asthma does not have to stay in after school.
  Research and development are costly. Inherent in each pursuit is a 
great amount of risk. On average, only one out of every 10,000 possible 
medications successfully makes it through development and Food and Drug 
Administration approval. It can take more than 15 years and $800 
million to develop just one drug. Congress should not allow any public 
policy to move forward that would indirectly hinder innovation or 
advances in medicine. As we make needed improvements in the Medicare 
Part D plan, we must ensure that scientific advances continue. 
Therefore, we must balance our encouragement of competition and 
innovation in the private market with public health.
  I believe that with H.R. 4 we are one step closer to answering the 
needs of our elderly. We have a real chance to provide a more 
accessible, affordable, and effective drug benefit to our seniors. 
Americans are living longer, healthier lives than ever before, and it 
is our duty to ensure that this trend continues.

                          ____________________