After a long summer of committee debates and discussions with constituents, health care reform is finally out in the open on the Senate floor -- but it doesn't include much of anything to lower drug prices. And the big drug companies are pulling out all the stops to keep it that way.
I've offered a bipartisan amendment that would give the American people the freedom to purchase prescription drugs from other countries at a fraction of the price they are required to pay here. As you know, the American people are charged the highest prices in the world for brand-name prescription drugs. Those same drugs are sold elsewhere at a much lower price. I want the American people to have the ability to force the pharmaceutical companies to offer fair prices here in the United States.
My legislation will get that done.
This is a crucial reform that's urgently needed to combat one of the fastest-rising costs associated with health care -- the skyrocketing price of prescription drugs. The cost of prescription drugs increased by just over 9 percent this year alone!
I hope you will contact your senators today to ensure that they've joined me in supporting the prescription drug importation bill.
This amendment is bipartisan with substantial Democratic and Republican support. It is important because it would bring accountability into the prescription drug marketplace without introducing any additional risk.
My bill has ironclad safety features that will give the American people the opportunity to purchase FDA-approved drugs at a much lower price from certified outlets in Canada and other countries where the chain of custody of the drug supply is safe.
The drug companies are fighting this tooth and nail, claiming they already negotiated a deal that does not allow the American people to import these prescription drugs.
But as an old Senator once said, "I'm not for any deal that I am not a part of." And frankly I was not a part of any deal, and I think that any agreement that was struck was not fair to the American people. The pharmaceutical industry should not be given the gift of requiring artificially high drug prices here in this country.
This isn't the first time we've tried to get this legislation passed. But I believe this time we can succeed.
We're in a strong position thanks to all the supporters who signed my petition back in August and helped embolden the bipartisan group of 30 senators I'm leading in this cause.
But 30 senators are not a majority, and I'm going to need your help to win this amendment over the objections of the pharmaceutical industry.
U.S. consumers should not be charged the highest prices in the world for brand-name prescription drugs. That's just not fair -- and I aim to change it.
Loading comments… 
Pharma companies charge Americans more simply because they can. Judging from their profits, buying off Congress and ripping off the American people has really paid off for them.
Top 10 pharmaceut
1 Pfizer -- U.S. $14.1 Billion
2 Johnson & Johnson -- U.S. $10.5 Billion
3 Bayer --Germany $6.4 Billion
4 Hoffmann–L
5 Novartis -- Switzerlan
6 GlaxoSmith
7 Sanofi-Ave
8 AstraZenec
9 Abbott Laboratori
10 Merck & Co. -- U.S. $7.8 Billion
If the money people paid into their premiums went to support competent staff to process service claims between the care giver and the patient, as Medicare does with only 1% overhead, we would have true cost containmen
But that’s just too smart for these insurance criminals because their greed is more important than the quality of life, and life itself, for far too many Americans.
My God, have we stopped caring about each other as a human race and as a nation of people to put money before suffering of our own species?
Its beliefs like this, which help me to better understand something I always had a hard time relating too, and that was how anyone could carry out what occurred during the holocaust?
When I see the insurance companies demanding status quo, putting money before the health of the nation, allowing Americans to die on the vine to put more money in their coffers, the transcende
And this is the real story that should be told.
It will force Big Pharma to produce better drugs at a cheaper cost.
Since the Republican
Many of us who have been paying out the gills for many years for medicine that force you to choose between, food/nutri
For that to happen to any American in this country is a crime against humanity, and its escalating at a far too rapid rate for too many Americans
Good job and stick to your guns, as you have my full support.
Your focus should be on eliminatin
At least pharmaceut
If I see another ASK YOUR DOCTOR ad on the teevee, I'll break the teevee.
I mean, we're just trying to get the same pricing for medicines as our dearest neighbor, Canada. The sensible, affordable
Now we have an issue with making sure that are drugs we buy will be safe. We already have plenty of problems with that. We already have problems with some generic drugs because they are not required to test their own product, and sometimes it is less then the standard 20 percent FDA allows.
The same "name brand"? Show us that is true first.
So, all this to stop the health care reform, eh? Well, I certainly would just love to pick up that big large health care reform bood and drop it on his foot.
I am tired of this.