The Vote Is In - We Know Where Senators Stand
By: Source: AARP.org Date Posted: 2007-02-26 12:12:00-05:00
Updated April 18, 2007.
U. S. Senate Votes 55-42 to debate Medicare Fair Prescription Drug Price Act; Motion Fails
On Wednesday April 18th, the Senate voted 55-42 to allow consideration of the Medicare Fair Prescription Drug Price Act of 2007.
Sixty votes were necessary; a minority of senators prevented a vote on legislation that could help lower prescription drug costs for millions of Medicare beneficiaries.
Prior to this vote AARP members held meetings across the country with Senators and their staff and sent over 140,000 phone calls, emails, faxes and letters in support of S. 3, The Medicare Fair Prescription Drug Price Act of 2007. If passed, this legislation would have allowed Medicare to negotiate for lower drug prices.
Despite this support, the support of a majority of the U.S. Senate and nearly 90 percent of voting-age Americans, a minority of Senators blocked this legislation from coming up for a vote on the Senate floor.
Thank you to everyone who took action and helped move this legislation through Congress. Because of your help this legislation gained the momentum to pass the House of Representatives and the Senate Finance Committee with bipartisan votes.
And the fight will continue: "Allowing Medicare to negotiate for lower drug prices is common sense, and could have led to more affordable drugs for Medicare beneficiaries and lower costs for all taxpayers,” said David Sloane, AARP Director of Government Relations. “Instead, a minority of the Senate decided to block consideration of a bill that has the support of the vast majority of their constituents. Given the overwhelming support for giving Medicare the power to negotiate, the will of the people will eventually be heard.
Senators should know this issue is not going away. No amount of campaign money can trump the will of 90 percent of Americans."
AARP plans to continue to push for this legislation and for other measures to help lower the cost of prescription drugs.
Currently, Medicare is prohibited by law from directly bargaining with pharmaceutical companies for lower drug prices. Thanks to the efforts of AARP advocates, the House of Representatives passed a bill in January that would give Medicare this important right. Now it’s the Senate’s turn to act. But drug companies are doing all they can to stop this legislation.
Wednesday, April 4, 2007 is AARP's National Call to Action Day. On this day, AARP members across the country will be calling their Senators to demand that they act now to give Medicare the right to bargain. You can join this powerful day of action by calling 1-888-450-3254 or e-mailing your Senators on April 4.
It’s simple: Medicare needs to harness the buying power of its 43 million beneficiaries to negotiate the best prices possible for us. The Senate can help make that happen by passing this legislation.
Now is the time to tell your Senators that you expect them to immediately pass legislation giving Medicare the right to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices. Nearly 9 in 10 voting-age Americans favor giving the Secretary of Health and Human Services this authority.
Here are two things you can do to help give Medicare the right to bargain for lower drug prices:
- Send an email to your Senators
- E-mail this article to a friend by clicking the "Email Article" icon above and encourage them to send an email as well
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