Back in January 2017, Senators Bernie Sanders and Amy Klobuchar proposed a budget-resolution amendment that would have allowed pharmacies and individuals to order their prescription drugs from Canada where they sell for much less than in the U.S. It failed by a 46 to 52 vote. Senators Coons and Carper were among 13 Democrats who voted against it, citing safety concerns as the reason for their no vote. Twelve Republicans voted for the bill, more than enough to ensure its passage if a few more Democrats had voted yes.
In March, Senator Sanders introduced an updated bill that required imported drugs be made in a facility registered with the Food and Drug Administration. Senator Coons and Carper were not among the 20 sponsors.
The current law has a ‘non-interference’ clause that expressly bans the Secretary of Health and Human Services from negotiating with drug companies for the best possible prices for seniors enrolled in Medicare Part D. Senators Mark Warner (D-VA), Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) introduced a bill with 30 co-sponsors that would remove the ‘non-interference ban’ and allow Medicare to negotiate the cost of prescription drugs. By harnessing the bargaining power of nearly 41 million seniors, Medicare could help drive down costs of prescription drugs for everyone. Senator Coons and Carper are not among the sponsors of this bill.
Please contact the Senators’ offices in the coming two weeks as the Senators return from their August break and ask to both co-sponsor the Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act, and vote for the bill when it comes to the floor. Tell them it is not acceptable for Delaware to have two Senators devoted more to the profits of Pharmaceutical companies than to the needs of Delawareans. Do not accept any explanation. Simply tell them your vote in the coming reelections will be dependent on their actions here.
Senator Thomas Carper
http://carper.senate.gov/contact/
Washington – (202) 224-2441
Wilmington – (302) 573-6291
Dover – (302) 674-3308
Georgetown – (302) 856-7690
Senator Chris Coons
http://coons.senate.gov/contact/
Washington – (202) 224-5042
Wilmington – (302) 573-6345
Dover – (302) 736-5601
Toll free – (877) 668-3368
When the Delaware Dynamic DINOS did the evil bidding of Big Pharma I called and expressed disappointment and displeasure, perhaps we need to express rage. As noted it was the Dems that killed importing Canadian drugs, it was the Dems that did not sign on for negotiating the cost of Medicare drugs. They do not work for us and seem not to care that it shows, they also don’t care if we pay double the price for drugs even though we buy the most. What happened capitalism lovers? When it comes to drugs what happened to “buy in bulk and save”? To quote Trump “the drug companies are getting away with murder in this country”. Damned if they ain’t.
AstraZeneca is a top campaign contributor for Carper, I would not expect either of these two senators to vote in favor of legislation that would negatively impact AstraZeneca. Their interests are not with Delawareans but rather special interests.