Democrats' drug price bill blocked in Senate (Reuters)

Eugene

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Wed Apr-18-07 11:36 AM
Original message

Democrats' drug price bill blocked in Senate (Reuters)

Source: Reuters

Democrats' drug price bill blocked in Senate

By Richard Cowan
18 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A bill that would let the U.S. government negotiate
prices for Medicare prescription drugs stalled in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday
when Republican opponents blocked a vote on the legislation.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (news, bio, voting record) fell five votes
short of the 60 needed to end a Republican filibuster and move to a vote on the
bill. A filibuster is a tactic for delaying or obstructing legislation by making long
speeches.

Democrats said they were not giving up on the bill and would try again.

Medicare, a government-run health insurance program covering 40 million elderly
and disabled Americans, is currently barred from negotiating drug prices with drug
manufacturers.

-snip-

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070418/hl_nm/medicare_congress_dc_10

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Jim__

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Wed Apr-18-07 11:39 AM
Response to Original message

1. The names of the senators opposed to ending the filibuster need to be published -

Edited on Wed Apr-18-07 11:39 AM by Jim__

repeatedly - in their homestates. Now and until their next election.

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Faux pas

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Wed Apr-18-07 11:43 AM
Response to Reply #1

4. You've got that right! n/t

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AndyA

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Wed Apr-18-07 11:44 AM
Response to Reply #1

5. Absolutely.

HEADLINE:

Senator ____________________ doesn't want you to get the best price possible on prescription medicine. They want their big pharmaceutical company CEO buddies to show more profits and take home millions more in bonuses instead. Your Senator sold you out for big business by refusing to allow a vote on a bill that would enable Medicare to get competitive bids on drugs. Remember this next time you go to buy prescriptions, and remember it at the next election.

Why would you vote for someone who is willing to put your best interests aside for big business? Don't allow your Senator to relegate you to second rate citizen status!

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TommyO

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Wed Apr-18-07 11:41 AM
Response to Original message

2. Hey, repukes - why are you afraid of an Up/Down vote

on this issue?

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Faux pas

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Wed Apr-18-07 11:43 AM
Response to Original message

3. This makes no logical sense to me. I'm tired of business being

more important than human beings. Screw the thugs and the drug companies.

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SOS

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Wed Apr-18-07 11:47 AM
Response to Original message

6. Ka-ching

The sound of Big Pharma cash arriving in the Caymans.

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TwilightGardener

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Wed Apr-18-07 11:48 AM
Response to Original message

7. This is disgusting--who has a list of the cowards--some of whom

were Dems?

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flpoljunkie

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Wed Apr-18-07 11:52 AM
Response to Reply #7

8. There were NO Democrats voting against cloture, except Reid who voted NO for procedural reasons--so

Edited on Wed Apr-18-07 11:55 AM by flpoljunkie

he could bring the measure back up for a revote. Actually, the Democrats were joined by 6 Republicans, but that was not enough to reach the magic 60 votes.

Here is link to the roll call vote:

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00132

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TwilightGardener

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Wed Apr-18-07 11:57 AM
Response to Reply #8

10. Glad to know no Dems were involved--I was afraid

Ben Nelson mighta done something dumb. So the six 'Pugs were: Collins, Specter, Snowe, Coleman, Smith, and Hagel. The usual sane suspects. Thanks, guys, you tried!

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sinkingfeeling

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Wed Apr-18-07 11:53 AM
Response to Original message

9. Hey Harry, just change the Senate rules so that only a majority is needed to end a filibuster.

It's the Republican way!!

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