[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 15]
[House]
[Page 20417]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    SENIORS ONCE AGAIN VICTIMS OF GOP'S COZY RELATIONSHIP WITH DRUG 
                               COMPANIES

  (Mr. CARDOZA asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. CARDOZA. Madam Speaker, American seniors are facing their first 
full week of the donut hole. This gap in prescription drug coverage for 
thousands of seniors is the direct result of the Republicans' 
dedication to increasing drug company profits.
  As a clear giveaway to the big pharmaceutical companies, the 
Republican prescription drug benefit does not require that the Federal 
Government use its huge purchasing power to bargain for lower cost 
drugs. On three occasions since 2003, House Republicans had the 
opportunity to support Democratic amendments to reduce drug prices 
through bulk purchasing. Passage of our amendments would have provided 
Congress with the money to fill the gap in coverage and eliminate the 
donut hole.
  But, no. This would have eaten into drug company profits and 
threatened the friendship that exists between the Republicans and the 
drug companies.
  Mr. Speaker, we can still correct this injustice visited upon our 
seniors before we recess. Today, we should give the Secretary of Health 
and Human Services the power to bargain those prices down and 
permanently close the donut hole.
  America needs a new direction.

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