As I predicted this morning the Dorgan Amendment, which would have allowed the importation of prescription drugs from Canada and elsewhere, failed today. From Associated Press:
The 51-48 roll call Tuesday by which the Senate rejected a plan that would allow Americans to import low-cost prescriptions from abroad. Sixty votes were needed to pass the measure.
A "yes" vote is a vote to pass the measure.
Voting yes were 27 Democrats, 23 Republicans and 1 independent.
Voting no were 30 Democrats, 17 Republicans and 1 independent.
ALABAMA
Sessions (R), Yes; Shelby (R), Yes.
ALASKA
Begich (D), Yes; Murkowski (R), Yes.
ARIZONA
Kyl (R), No; McCain (R), Yes.
ARKANSAS
Lincoln (D), Yes; Pryor (D), Yes.
CALIFORNIA
Boxer (D), Yes; Feinstein (D), Yes.
COLORADO
Bennet (D), Yes; Udall (D), No.
CONNECTICUT
Dodd (D), No; Lieberman (I), No.
DELAWARE
Carper (D), No; Kaufman (D), No.
FLORIDA
LeMieux (R), Yes; Nelson (D), Yes.
GEORGIA
Chambliss (R), No; Isakson (R), No.
HAWAII
Akaka (D), No; Inouye (D), No.
IDAHO
Crapo (R), Yes; Risch (R), Yes.
ILLINOIS
Burris (D), No; Durbin (D), No.
INDIANA
Bayh (D), No; Lugar (R), No.
IOWA
Grassley (R), Yes; Harkin (D), Yes.
KANSAS
Brownback (R), No; Roberts (R), No.
KENTUCKY
Bunning (R), No; McConnell (R), Yes.
LOUISIANA
Landrieu (D), No; Vitter (R), Yes.
MAINE
Collins (R), Yes; Snowe (R), Yes.
MARYLAND
Cardin (D), No; Mikulski (D), No.
MASSACHUSETTS
Kerry (D), No; Kirk (D), No.
MICHIGAN
Levin (D), No; Stabenow (D), Yes.
MINNESOTA
Franken (D), Yes; Klobuchar (D), Yes.
MISSISSIPPI
Cochran (R), No; Wicker (R), Yes.
MISSOURI
Bond (R), Yes; McCaskill (D), Yes.
MONTANA
Baucus (D), No; Tester (D), No.
NEBRASKA
Johanns (R), Yes; Nelson (D), Yes.
NEVADA
Ensign (R), No; Reid (D), No.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Gregg (R), No; Shaheen (D), Yes.
NEW JERSEY
Lautenberg (D), No; Menendez (D), No.
NEW MEXICO
Bingaman (D), Yes; Udall (D), Yes.
NEW YORK
Gillibrand (D), No; Schumer (D), No.
NORTH CAROLINA
Burr (R), No; Hagan (D), No.
NORTH DAKOTA
Conrad (D), Yes; Dorgan (D), Yes.
OHIO
Brown (D), Yes; Voinovich (R), No.
OKLAHOMA
Coburn (R), Yes; Inhofe (R), No.
OREGON
Merkley (D), Yes; Wyden (D), Yes.
PENNSYLVANIA
Casey (D), No; Specter (D), Yes.
RHODE ISLAND
Reed (D), No; Whitehouse (D), No.
SOUTH CAROLINA
DeMint (R), Yes; Graham (R), Yes.
SOUTH DAKOTA
Johnson (D), Yes; Thune (R), Yes.
TENNESSEE
Alexander (R), Yes; Corker (R), Yes.
TEXAS
Cornyn (R), Yes; Hutchison (R), Yes.
UTAH
Bennett (R), No; Hatch (R), No.
VERMONT
Leahy (D), Yes; Sanders (I), Yes.
VIRGINIA
Warner (D), No; Webb (D), Yes.
WASHINGTON
Cantwell (D), No; Murray (D), No.
WEST VIRGINIA
Byrd (D), Not Voting; Rockefeller (D), No.
WISCONSIN
Feingold (D), Yes; Kohl (D), Yes.
WYOMING
Barrasso (R), No; Enzi (R), No.
The 51-48 roll call Tuesday by which the Senate rejected a plan that would allow Americans to import low-cost prescriptions from abroad. Sixty votes were needed to pass the measure.
A "yes" vote is a vote to pass the measure.
Voting yes were 27 Democrats, 23 Republicans and 1 independent.
Voting no were 30 Democrats, 17 Republicans and 1 independent.
ALABAMA
Sessions (R), Yes; Shelby (R), Yes.
ALASKA
Begich (D), Yes; Murkowski (R), Yes.
ARIZONA
Kyl (R), No; McCain (R), Yes.
ARKANSAS
Lincoln (D), Yes; Pryor (D), Yes.
CALIFORNIA
Boxer (D), Yes; Feinstein (D), Yes.
COLORADO
Bennet (D), Yes; Udall (D), No.
CONNECTICUT
Dodd (D), No; Lieberman (I), No.
DELAWARE
Carper (D), No; Kaufman (D), No.
FLORIDA
LeMieux (R), Yes; Nelson (D), Yes.
GEORGIA
Chambliss (R), No; Isakson (R), No.
HAWAII
Akaka (D), No; Inouye (D), No.
IDAHO
Crapo (R), Yes; Risch (R), Yes.
ILLINOIS
Burris (D), No; Durbin (D), No.
INDIANA
Bayh (D), No; Lugar (R), No.
IOWA
Grassley (R), Yes; Harkin (D), Yes.
KANSAS
Brownback (R), No; Roberts (R), No.
KENTUCKY
Bunning (R), No; McConnell (R), Yes.
LOUISIANA
Landrieu (D), No; Vitter (R), Yes.
MAINE
Collins (R), Yes; Snowe (R), Yes.
MARYLAND
Cardin (D), No; Mikulski (D), No.
MASSACHUSETTS
Kerry (D), No; Kirk (D), No.
MICHIGAN
Levin (D), No; Stabenow (D), Yes.
MINNESOTA
Franken (D), Yes; Klobuchar (D), Yes.
MISSISSIPPI
Cochran (R), No; Wicker (R), Yes.
MISSOURI
Bond (R), Yes; McCaskill (D), Yes.
MONTANA
Baucus (D), No; Tester (D), No.
NEBRASKA
Johanns (R), Yes; Nelson (D), Yes.
NEVADA
Ensign (R), No; Reid (D), No.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Gregg (R), No; Shaheen (D), Yes.
NEW JERSEY
Lautenberg (D), No; Menendez (D), No.
NEW MEXICO
Bingaman (D), Yes; Udall (D), Yes.
NEW YORK
Gillibrand (D), No; Schumer (D), No.
NORTH CAROLINA
Burr (R), No; Hagan (D), No.
NORTH DAKOTA
Conrad (D), Yes; Dorgan (D), Yes.
OHIO
Brown (D), Yes; Voinovich (R), No.
OKLAHOMA
Coburn (R), Yes; Inhofe (R), No.
OREGON
Merkley (D), Yes; Wyden (D), Yes.
PENNSYLVANIA
Casey (D), No; Specter (D), Yes.
RHODE ISLAND
Reed (D), No; Whitehouse (D), No.
SOUTH CAROLINA
DeMint (R), Yes; Graham (R), Yes.
SOUTH DAKOTA
Johnson (D), Yes; Thune (R), Yes.
TENNESSEE
Alexander (R), Yes; Corker (R), Yes.
TEXAS
Cornyn (R), Yes; Hutchison (R), Yes.
UTAH
Bennett (R), No; Hatch (R), No.
VERMONT
Leahy (D), Yes; Sanders (I), Yes.
VIRGINIA
Warner (D), No; Webb (D), Yes.
WASHINGTON
Cantwell (D), No; Murray (D), No.
WEST VIRGINIA
Byrd (D), Not Voting; Rockefeller (D), No.
WISCONSIN
Feingold (D), Yes; Kohl (D), Yes.
WYOMING
Barrasso (R), No; Enzi (R), No.
that's a good idea and I didn't even mention the "bible codes" that say we're in for a bumpy ride under the tutelage of the ObamaChrist.
I'm watching. My cousin lives in Arlington, VA. I asked him if he would drive by the White House occassionally to check for "bean pods" in the back yard.
The next time you see him on tv if he even if only for a second begins to hiss and his tongue forks, you'll know exactly what I mean! If that doesn't happen you'll still have to check his genealogical background to see if he is somehow related to England's King George family.
alienHunter wrote: And there are plenty of conspiracy theories that speak to that.
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What have you heard??????
Obama looks taller to me than he did during the campaign.
I don't trust that dick Cheney and that movie "Dave" has always troubled me. Obama is a pretty "non-descript" guy. Lots of people look like him. That guy on SNL for example.
I definitely see your point...unless, Obama has been replaced by a shapeshifter, I believe he is trying to live up to his word. Either that, or there is something we REALLY don't know or understand about government. And there are plenty of conspiracy theories that speak to that.
To me, it's bad. The president says one of the major goals of HCR is to control costs. As you can see from carguy and carol's comments, prescriptions are a significant portion of the costs of health care. Plus it gives people choices, another stated goal. It seems hypocritical to me to say that you want to control costs and give people choices and then turn around and fight against legislation that does both.
that's true, man...I don't know if that's good or bad?
I was "forced" to explore the "Canada Connection". I had three meds I just could not afford to buy here due to our new company group health plan.
I went to Northwest Pharmacy in Vancouver, www.northwestpharmacy.com. Check prices on their website. You can order on-line or phone. They also have a 1-800 number. I did check three other Canadian sites and they proved to be more money or less dependable in their orders and shipping.
I am paying one-third of what I would pay here. These three meds would have cost me over $2,700 a year. Now, a years worth is only $937.00
Be advised, they are slow sometimes. It has taken me anywhere from 5 days to 18 days to get these meds refilled. They will sell you 6 months at a time, though.
FYI, the meds, ALL BRAND NAMES, sometimes do come from New Zealand/Australia, Belgium, Japan.
In the event I die from any of these "foreign" meds, I will post notice here.
What Obama is doing is keeping up his end of his deal with pharma. He gives them this and they don't run ads against health care reform.
Here's the thing...
I sympathise with those who are in real need for cheap drugs. But, speaking as the devil/politician's advocate the price of pharmaceuticals is an 'inside' problem that might be better attacked domestically. As a nation we have sold much of our leverage away by outsourcing manufacturing and tech jobs. This manifests itself in an unhealthy trade deficit. Pharmaceuticals is one of the U.S.' bastions of superiority and if we 'trade' that away then we might have dealt ourselves another bad hand. I posted a site the other day (pharmlicensing.com) that suggested ways to attack the high cost of drugs with legislation that among other solutions suggests that the government could purchase drug patents from developer companies and then control the pricing in an equitable fashion. Sometimes we have to work within the system as unpalatable as that seems. I think this is what Obama is attempting to do. Control the industry on friendly terms not as an adversary. The pharmaceutical network is after all an important leg in our economic foundation.
When my mother was still alive, I bought all of her meds from Canada - with her doctor's blessing - and saved well over $1,500 PER MONTH.
Now I realize that I am dumber than a mud fence, but could someone...anyone...explain to me why - other than big Pharma padding pockets of the Congress - that this would be a bad deal for Americans?
And I don't buy the "poorer quality" of the drugs issue...
Absolutely amazing. This country is run by the banks, the insurance companies and Big Pharma. Resistance is futile. I think I just quit giving money to Democrats.
Somebody didn't get the memo... that the Dems are supposed to be the party that helps the middle class. Being able to buy drugs, at the same prices the Canadians pay... would save American consumers, millions of dollars.
After watching Dr. Dean on "Countdown" state his reasons why he doesn't think the Senate bill is "reform". I have to agree... it isn't.
All this action in the Senate looks like a win/win for the health insurance industry... and big Pharma.
One of the commentators on cable news yesterday spoke of the "passion" of Obama in his remarks yesterday, after his meeting with Senators, ... about why he thinks the Senate bill should be passed.
My only question is this: Where was this "passion" and his speaking out... when the bill contained a "public option" and/or "a Medicare buy-in"?
Just sayin'..........