[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 75 (Tuesday, May 8, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S5712]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            VOTE EXPLANATION

  Mr. OBAMA. Mr. President, yesterday, the Senate took two rollcall 
votes. The first vote was on Senator Cochran's second degree amendment, 
S.A. 1010, to Senator Dorgan's prescription drug importation amendment, 
S.A. 990. The Cochran amendment passed the Senate by a 49 to 40 vote. 
The second vote was on the motion to invoke cloture on the committee 
substitute amendment to the Prescription Drug User Fee Amendment Act of 
2007, S. 1082, which was agreed to by an 82 to 8 vote.
  Although I was unable to be present for these two votes, I would like 
to state for the record how I would have voted. I would have opposed 
Senator Cochran's amendment which requires the Secretary of HHS to 
certify that drug importation would not pose any safety risk to 
consumers. As a matter of practice, the Secretary is not able to 
certify that any drug from any facility, here in the United States or 
abroad, would not pose a safety risk. As such, this amendment 
effectively would block the implementation of Senator Dorgan's 
amendment.
  The fact that the Cochran amendment passed is unfortunate. It is 
unconscionable that Americans are paying on average twice as much for 
lifesaving drugs as citizens of other countries, and our State and 
Federal health programs are struggling to bear these costs.
  Finally, my HELP Committee colleagues have spent months negotiating 
and drafting the Prescription Drug User Fee Amendment Act, which 
contains a number of critical reauthorizing and drug safety provisions. 
I would have voted in favor of cloture on this bill and look forward to 
its passage later this week.

                          ____________________