[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 15179]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              PROTECT AMERICAN SENIORS, NOT DRUG COMPANIES

  (Ms. BERKLEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. BERKLEY. Mr. Speaker, last year the Bush administration forced 
through a sham prescription drug bill that does absolutely nothing to 
lower drug costs, prohibits the government from negotiating with drug 
companies and blocks the reimportation of drugs from other countries. 
Under this bill, 20,000 seniors in Nevada will actually pay more for 
their prescription drugs than they need.
  A recent study reported that the prices of the top 30 brand-name 
drugs used by seniors rose by four times the rate of inflation in 2003. 
For years, seniors throughout the United States have been struggling 
with the dramatically increasing costs of their medications, while 
seniors in Canada can purchase the exact same drugs for 40 percent 
less.
  Seniors need help now, and we need new leaders in the White House who 
will fight for all Americans' interests. Protect our seniors and not 
the drug companies.

                          ____________________