Bernie Sanders posted a press release about his amendment Senate to Vote on Sanders Amendment to Lower Rx Prices. The article has a link to the amendment’s wording.
AMENDMENT intended to be proposed by Mr. SANDERS
Viz:
1 At the end of title III, add the following:
2 SEC. 3 . DEFICIT-NEUTRAL RESERVE FUND RELATING
3 TO LOWERING PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICES
4 FOR AMERICANS BY IMPORTING DRUGS
5 FROM CANADA AND OTHER COUNTRIES.
6 The Chairman of the Committee on the Budget of
7 the Senate may revise the allocations of a committee or
8 committees, aggregates, and other appropriate levels in
9 this resolution for one or more bills, joint resolutions,
10 amendments, amendments between the Houses, motions,1 or conference reports relating to lowering prescription
2 drug prices, including through the importation of safe and
3 affordable prescription drugs by American pharmacists,
4 wholesalers, and individuals with a valid prescription from
5 a provider licensed to practice in the United States, by
6 the amounts provided in such legislation for those pur-
7 poses, provided that such legislation would not increase
8 the deficit over either the period of the total of fiscal years
9 2017 through 2021 or the period of the total of fiscal
10 years 2017 through 2026.
The New Republic has the article Cory Booker’s explanation for voting against cheap prescription drugs doesn’t track which quotes Booker’s explanation.
I support the importation of prescription drugs as a key part of a strategy to help control the skyrocketing cost of medications. Any plan to allow the importation of prescription medications should also include consumer protections that ensure foreign drugs meet American safety standards. I opposed an amendment put forward last night that didn’t meet this test. The rising cost of medications is a life-and-death issue for millions of Americans, which is why I also voted for amendments last night that bring drug prices down and protect Medicare’s prescription drug benefit. I’m committed to finding solutions that allow for prescription drug importation with adequate safety standards.
Booker can say this with a strait face as if Sanders’ amendment did not have the words “including through the importation of safe and affordable prescription drugs”?
William Kilmer posted a comment on the article “Cory Booker’s Crucificion Has The Attention of Every Democrat in DC”.
For those of you who have not been playing along at home, Senator Bernie Sanders offered a measure, along with Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, which would have permitted the re-importation of U.S. made pharmaceuticals. This would have substantially reduced the cost to American consumers.
Kilmer explained about the comment about U.S. made drugs.
The comment was made during the debate that importing drugs from Canada would in many, perhaps most cases, be re-importing drugs manufactured in the United States.
When I read the doubts that Booker claims to have about safety, I think that he is really implying some astounding things that we need to emphasize. As for the re-importation of drugs made in the USA, he is either implying that something goes wrong with the drugs when they cross the border and come back or he is saying the US manufacturers make an inferior product to ship to Canada. The second interpretation should shake to the roots our trust in the ethics of drug makers. Surely they would not want people in the US, nor people in Canada to have questions about the safety of what gets shipped to Canada. Also take into account that the cost of a drug does not primarily depend on the cost of the ingredients nor the cost of the of the manufacturing process. Most of the cost is an effort by the drug companies to recoup their cost of research, development, and testing for certification by the FDA. Of course costs of advertising also play a huge role. There really would be little point to making an inferior product to sell at a lower price in other countries.