Strike Two for Congressional Republicans
GOP Vote Against Middle-Class Texans Twice in One Week
Oppose Fair Prescription Drug Prices for Seniors
(Austin, TX)-For the second time this week, Texas Republicans in Congress voted against middle-class Texans by opposing fair prescription drug prices for seniors, instead siding with the big drug companies whose profits continue to grow. A bill (H.R. 4) that passed the U.S. House today would help lower prescription drug costs by allowing the federal government to negotiate fair drug prices for seniors enrolled in the Medicare prescription drug program. Texas Republicans also turned their back on middle-class Texans earlier this week by opposing a minimum wage increase that will benefit 1.7 million Texas workers. [Roll Call votes #18, 1/11/07 and #23, 1/12/07]
"Texas Congressional Republicans voted once again to put their special interest donors ahead of the middle-class Texas seniors they are supposed to be representing," said Texas Democratic Party spokeswoman Amber Moon. "Republicans kicked seniors to the curb when they voted to continue part of the DeLay sham drug bill that barred the government from negotiating lower prices. Drug company profits have reached record levels while seniors have been held captive to the whims of big pharmaceutical companies."
Under the current law, which Tom DeLay rammed through the U.S. House in 2003, the Health & Human Services Secretary is prohibited from negotiating competitive and fair prescription drug costs while allowing the pharmaceutical companies to effectively set a price floor.
Currently, states, Fortune 500 companies, and large pharmacy chains all use their bargaining clout to obtain lower drug prices for the patients they represent, and HHS should have that same capability for Medicare beneficiaries. This legislation, opposed by 18 out of 19 Texas Republicans in the U.S. House, would give the HHS Secretary the ability to use the purchasing power of Medicare's 43 million beneficiaries to achieve the greatest price discounts.
"Despite record profits, Texas Republicans are still willing to use their vote in Congress to further benefit special interest campaign donors at the cost of everyday Texans," added Moon. "Congressional Democrats are taking the steps to undo some of DeLay's legislative damage and address the health care issues facing middle-class seniors, not wealthy CEO's."
A Families USA study shows that, over a 6-month period, the median drug price increase among Medicare drug plans for the top 20 drugs prescribed for seniors was 3.7 percent - which translates into a 7.4 percent increase over a year, more than twice the rate of overall inflation. Meanwhile, Pfizer reported in October its third quarter earnings had doubled from the previous year. [Families USA, Big Dollars, Little Sense: Rising Medicare Prescription Drug Prices, 6/20/06]
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