Congressional Record—House H2534
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H2534 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE April 26, 2005 new mandatory sentences to do it, but Now, I know you may be shocked to ada and Europe and use competition real preventative measures, which know that it may not have been in for Lipitor and for other types of prod- more law enforcement, more training your interest, $158 million to lobby the ucts, or whether you allow generics to does. Members of the United States Congress come to the market in a speedier time I would also say I have asked the and Senate. Since 1998, in 6 years, they to compete against the name brand, Committee on the Judiciary today to have spent three-quarters of a billion every principle in the free market was hold a hearing on a horrific video that dollars lobbying, wining, dining Mem- prevented. I saw, a 5-year-old being handcuffed in bers of the United States Congress, We have a captive market in this Florida. A 5-year-old who does not have taking them on golf trips, taking them country. We pay the most expensive the intent, cannot go into a court of on vacations, taking them to con- prices. And the irony of ironies is that law and even be judged to have the ap- ferences, taking them out to meals, all the American taxpayer through the propriate intent to be prosecuted or to to tell them about their industry. R&D, Research and Development tax be able to testify. Two large police offi- There are 1,300 pharmaceutical reg- credit, subsidizes the research for the cers, one large teacher, and I love istered lobbyists. There are only 535 products that we buy, and we pay top teachers, but this, excuse me, adminis- Members of the United States Congress dollar. That is why somebody has to do trator, I believe this was a deputy prin- and Senate. There are 21⁄2 lobbyists for something about the $158 million, the cipal, could not handle a 5-year-old. A every Member. Three-quarters of a bil- three-quarters of a billion dollars, in 6 mother, a working mother on a job lion dollars in 6 years, $158 million last years, spent on behalf of an industry that could not get there quickly, but year alone, and 1,300 lobbyists working that has got the best government they got to school and they would not let on behalf of the industry. can get for their resources they spend; her see her 5-year-old. What an out- About 475 of them, according to this 1,300 lobbyists working for the pharma- rage. article, are former Federal Govern- ceutical industry; 21⁄2 lobbyists for I believe that school system and that ment employees; 40 of them are former every Member of Congress. district and the State of Florida needs Members of Congress. It is the most in- When you are working on their legis- to be penalized for the kind of reckless, fluential and well-financed lobbying lation, if you work down the halls of irresponsible stigmatizing of a 5-year- operation in Washington. Congress and you see a shadow, it is old. You could have called the mental Challenging the drug companies is al- usually theirs, not yours. Three-quar- health authorities. You could have ways a costly undertaking, and, more ters of a billion dollars in 6 years, $158 waited. You could have given her a toy often than not, it is a very difficult one million last year alone. and a television set to calm her down; and a losing one. But I want you to It is estimated that the United but yet two big police officers put her know what you are getting for your States Congress, when it passed the in the police car with handcuffs for a $158 million. prescription drug bill last Congress, little girl who was disruptive. What an Congress, when it passed a prescrip- that it resulted in an additional $150 outrage. tion drug bill last Congress, the 108th, billion over 10 years to the industry’s I think we can do better than this we prevented the United States Gov- profits. They know what they are and I am going do write legislation to ernment from negotiating prices like doing. They know what they are get- punish school districts who do not un- the Veterans Administration does, like ting for their money. They know what derstand how to deal with 5-year-olds, Wal-Mart does, like Sam’s Club does they are getting for their meals, for particularly those who do not under- when they want to negotiate. When their lobbying, for their trips; but it is stand that 5-year-olds do not need to be they want to deal with a supplier they time that this Congress spoke up on be- handcuffed. Did she have a gun in her negotiate best prices, not the United half of the American people, the people hands? A knife in her hands? A 5-year- States Government. It explicitly pre- that elected us, both the taxpayers and old. vents the United States Government the senior citizens, and get them the I hope we can do further work on pre- from negotiating on behalf of Medicare types of medications they need at scription drugs and meth labs, since for 43 million seniors for the lowest prices they can afford, and stand up to even in my local schools we are facing possible price. the lobbyists from the pharmaceutical that, Mr. Speaker. What does it say to our taxpayers? industry who are only representing Finally, let me conclude by saying, What does it say to our senior citizens? their narrow interests and have lost Mr. Speaker, I think the national ID, We are not going to do best business sight of what we have to do to rep- the bill that will pass in the Senate practices like Sam’s Club, like Lowe’s, resent the American people. that gives us a national ID card with a like other people who negotiate price. f driver’s license, which the 9/11 Commis- We will send you out there and make sion did not say, we need real immigra- you pay the highest price possible, CREDIBLE ETHICS PROCESS tion reform. Giving national ID cards which is why the United States tax- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a does not keep the terrorists from the payers and senior citizens pay the previous order of the House, the gen- border. We need to protect the borders. highest pharmaceutical prices of any tleman from West Virginia (Mr. MOL- We need more border patrol agents. major industrialized country in the LOHAN) is recognized for 5 minutes. That is how we secure the homeland, world. That is what you got for their Mr. MOLLOHAN. Mr. Speaker, on not national ID cards invading the pri- $158 million. March 1 of this year I introduced a res- vacy of Americans. What else did we get for that $158 olution, House Resolution 131, that f million that they spent lobbying Mem- would repeal the ill-conceived amend- bers of Congress? We got a bill that ment to the House ethics rules that POWERFUL PHARMACEUTICAL prevented the reimportation of phar- were included in the rules package LOBBYISTS maceutical products from Canada and adopted at the beginning of this Con- The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Europe so we could not get competition gress. GOHMERT). Under a previous order of and choice in the marketing of prices. Although this resolution has now the House, the gentleman from Illinois That is why people in Canada pay 50 gained 208 co-sponsors, the Committee (Mr. EMANUEL) is recognized for 5 min- percent cheaper prices than we do here on Rules to which it has been referred utes. in the United States. has not yet taken any action on it. Ac- Mr. EMANUEL. Mr. Speaker, today What else did that $158 million get? cordingly, it now becomes necessary to on the front page of USA Today’s busi- It does not allow generic medications begin to invoke the procedures pro- ness page, there was a headline, ‘‘Phar- to come to market to compete against vided by House Rule 15, to discharge a maceutical Industry Goes Furthest to name-priced drugs. Every principle of measure from the committee. Sway Congress.’’ the free market, whether you negotiate To that end, today I am introducing Last year the pharmaceutical indus- prices based on Medicare, just like a resolution that provides terms for try spent $158 million, just last year, to Sam’s Club, whether you allow com- the consideration of House Resolution lobby Members of the United States petition through the free market and 131 by the full House. Under House Rule Congress and Senate. allow people to buy their drugs in Can- 15, a discharge petition may be filed VerDate Aug 31 2005 01:36 Nov 18, 2006 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00058 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORDCX\T37X$J0E\H26AP5.REC H26AP5 ccoleman on PROD1PC71 with CONG-REC-ONLINE.