The Budget Resolution designed to enable the Republicans to repeal (but not replace, it looks like) was introduced and various Amendments to this have been introduced and voted on this week. Last night, was the “votearama” where a number of D-introduced amendments to this resolution were voted on. I want you to know how our Senators voted on various Amendments here. In the main, Senators Carper and Coons voted along party lines EXCEPT for Senator Klobuchar’s amendment that would propose a reduction to prescription costs by allowing imports from Canada. See the list below:
SA8 — Introduced (Jan 5) by Tim Kaine (D-VA) to prohibit legislation that makes America sick again. Failed 48-52.
Carper – YEA
Coons – YEA
SA1 — Introduced (Jan 9) by Rand Paul (R-KY) to replace this amendment with the one that clarifies the Emoluments clause in relation to Trump’s businesses. Failed 14-83.
Carper – NAY
Coons – NAY
SA20 — Introduced (Jan 9) by Marie Hirono (D-HI) to protect the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Failed 49-47.
Carper – Not Voting
Coons – YEA
SA 52 — Introduced (Jan 10) by Jeff Flake (R-AZ), this Amendment hides Medicaid “reform” behind strengthening Social Security and Medicare. Amendment failed 31 to 67.
Carper – NAY
Coons – NAY
SA 19 — Introduced (Jan 10) by Bernie Sanders (I-VT), this amendment:
To prevent the Senate from breaking Donald Trump’s promise that “there will be no cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid”.
Amendment failed 49-49.
Carper – YEA
Coons – YEA
SA 13 — Introduced by Bill Nelson (D-FL) to prevent the repeal of health reforms that closed the prescription drug coverage gap under Medicare. Failed 47-51.
Carper – YEA
Coons – YEA
SA60 — Introduced by Angus King (I-ME), to prevent legislation that would reduce health insurance access and affordability for individuals based on their occupation. Failed 48-50.
Carper – YEA
Coons — YEA
SA173 — Introduced by John Barasso (R-WY), this amendment looks to create a Rural Health Care fund when Obamacare is repealed.
Carper – NAY
Coons – NAY
SA64 — Introduced by Joe Manchin (D-WV), this amendment would require that the legislation should not would harm rural hospitals and health care providers.
Carper – YEA
Coons – YEA
SA167 — Introduced by Dean Heller (R-NV) this looks to establish a deficit-neutral (?) reserve fund to “strengthen Social Security” by repealing Obamacare. Failed 51-47.
Carper – NAY
Coons – NAY
SA81 — Introduced by Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) to prevent legislation that may make young people sick again. Failed 48-50.
Carper — YEA
Coons — YEA
SA176–Introduced by Jeff Flake (R-AZ) to create a deficit neutral fund to enhance housing for vets and their dependents by repealing Obamacare. Failed 50-48.
Carper – NAY
Coons – NAY
SA104 — Introduced by Jon Tester (D-MT) to prevent legislation that would limit the ability of veterans to choose VA health care. Failed 48-50.
Carper — YEA
Coons — YEA
SA61 — Introduced by Bob Casey (D-PA) to prevent legislation that may make people with disabilities and chronic conditions sick again. Failed 49-49.
Carper — YEA
Coons — YEA
SA181 — Introduced by John Barrasso (R-WY) to establish a deficit-neutral (?) reserve fund to “strengthen Social Security” by repealing and replacing (!) Obamacare. Failed 47-51)
Carper – NAY
Coons – NAY
SA179 — Introduced by Orrin Hatch (R-UT) to establish a deficit-neutral (?) reserve fund to reform housing and Medicaid by repealing Obamacare. Failed 51-47.
Carper – NAY
Coons – NAY
SA83 — Introduced by Robert Menendez (D-NJ) against legislation that would eliminate or reduce Federal funding to States under the Medicaid expansion. Failed 48-50.
Carper — YEA
Coons — YEA
SA174 — Introduced by Lamar Alexander (R-TN) to strengthen Social Security and Medicare without raiding them to pay for new government programs (even though they’ve already done this). Failed 49-49.
Carper – NAY
Coons – NAY
SA178 — Introduced by Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) to establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to lower prescription drug prices for Americans by importing drugs from Canada. Failed 46-52.
Carper – NAY
Coons – NAY
That’s right folks, BOTH of our Senators voted against this amendment that might help reduce prescription drug prices for Americans.
SA188 — Introduced by Ron Wyden (D-OR) against legislation that does not lower drug prices. Failed 47-51.
Carper — YEA
Coons — YEA
SA184 — Introduced by Deb Fisher (R-NE) establishing a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to strengthening Social Security or health care for women, which may include strengthening community health centers by repealing Obamacare. Failed 52-46.
Carper – NAY
Coons – NAY
SA82 — Introduced by Kirsten Gillebrand (D-NY) against legislation that will make women sick again. Failed 49-49.
Carper — YEA
Coons — YEA
SA 180 — Introduced by Orrin Hatch (R-UT) to establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund (?) relating to strengthening Social Security and repealing and replacing Obamacare. Failed 51-47.
Carper – NAY
Coons – NAY
SA86 — Introduced by Sherrod Brown (D-OH) against legislation that would undermine the historic coverage gains the United States has made in children’s health. Failed 49-49.
Carper — YEA
Coons — YEA
On the Final Resolution to repeal Obamacare: (Rand Paul was the only R to vote against the repeal of Obamacare.)
Carper – NAY
Coons – NAY
FYI, Rand Paul is R-KY.
And King is I-ME
Thanks — I’ll fix those. I tried to do this while also on a conf call.
How does an amendment fail 49-49, does the Veep not cast deciding votes on amendments?
The Amendments needed 3/5 majority to pass. The resolution itself needed a simple majority.
Gracias.
Other Democrats voted against the Klobuchar Amendment as well — including Michael Bennet, Cory Booker, Bob Casey, Maria Cantwell, Joe Donnelly, Martin Heinrich, Heidi Heitkamp, Bob Menendez, Patty Murray, Jon Tester, Mark Warner.
Any reason given by Dems voting against importing drugs from Canada?
I haven’t seen a reason provided, but have seen some pointers to the fact that the pharmaceuticals contribute a great deal to the Booker campaign and to the Carper and Coons campaigns.
Tammy Baldwin is D-WI
Thank you! Fixed.
What’s with Feinstein not voting on the final resolution?
I think she was out for surgery/
Priorities!
The operative explanation for the Dems voting to deny access to Canadian drugs is that their trials regime is much less stringent than ours in the USA through the FDA and similarly true for some European made drugs imported to Canada. As much as this pisses me off, especially having been informed this week my VA drug copays will increase, this is not the fully ridiculous defense I had hoped it was. Erring on the side of consumer protection caution….not outrageous until there is a discussion about such standards, drug by drug……a huge task even for the federal government.
Bernie’s reference to comparing our importation of fruits and vegetables from neighboring countries sounds good…..but further scrutiny reveals that our U.S. standards for food inspection falls way short of drugs……..probably that difference should not exist, but it is and it is real even though we put both food and medicine into our bodies, often through our mouths. So Bernie is playing us a bit there.
A final issue…….it pisses me off also but the truth is unavoidable….Our Senators and Congressperson likely feel a responsibility to protect our American industries, yes including Big Pharma, from competition. Are you a protectionist as some Dems are? Well, this is protectionism at work through Coons and Carper.
Sigh…..life should be a lot simpler.
In the main, I still think that this is a ridiculous excuse. Many of the drugs for sale in Canada are made here and it is a little crazy to imply that the Canadians don’t have a rigorous pharmaceutical quality program. Pharmaceuticals are not fruit and veggies — and most of us are not in the habit of washing and/or peeling our pills before taking them.
This was an amendment that was expected to fail. A dozen or so GOP Senators also voted for this thing. This was a free vote — to mostly be on the record for helping Americans get cheaper drugs. I understand about protecting an American industry, but we are protecting the *pricing* of an American industry that has to negotiate its prices everyplace but here. Americans have been telling everyone that they don’t want to bear the costs of the discounts provided to other countries.
I could not go to either of the rallies today for the ACA, but am hoping that someone asks Carper what he was thinking with that vote.