GOP blocking investigation into high drug prices

[Newell Steamer]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...blocking-investigation-into-high-drug-prices/

Democrats on the House Oversight Committee are chastising Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) for rebuffing their efforts to investigate price hikes by two pharmaceutical companies.

"Over the past year, Democrats have asked you repeatedly to take action on this critical issue, but you have refused every request," the members wrote in a letter to Chaffetz on Wednesday. "Even if you have no interest in investigating these abuses on behalf of your own constituents, we ask that you not block us from investigating them on behalf of ours."

Ranking Member Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.) has been urging an investigation into Valeant Pharmaceuticals, which is now being probed by federal prosecutors, and has demanded documents from both Valeant and Turing Pharmaceuticals. After those requests were refused, he and his fellow Democrats in September pushed for hearings where the CEOs of the two firms would testify.

Republicans who hold the majority on the committee and in Congress have ignored those efforts, the Democrats say, declining to join in requests for information or to hold hearings on drug pricing. They want Chaffetz to schedule a meeting for next month where committee members can vote on subpoenas for both CEOs.

The GOP's priorities are made clear, once again.

Both parties are totes the same...

 

[Indus]

No doubt a wedge issue for next year.

 

[sportage]

No doubt a wedge issue for next year.

And no doubt still another issue voters will vote against their own best interest, then wonder why drug prices are so high. And republicans will pull out the old "its Obamacare" blame, and voters will swallow that excuse hook, line, and sinker.

 

[HomerJS]

Benghazi taking up too many hearing rooms.

 

[Jaskalas]

Sounds like this issue can be life or death for people in need of medicine.

Why did the Washington Post not post a rebuttal from Republicans on this issue. Have Republicans really ignored it and held up a wall of silence? One would think they'd at least have an excuse if not ideological opposition.

If someone wants to argue that this is a slippery slope to "government setting prices", then maybe they should have thought of that before allowing a monopoly through government enforced barrier to entry. In a market where competition is stopped by government regulation... the notion of "free market" died long ago.

 

[theeedude]

Would expect nothing less than complete obstruction from Republicans.
Their voters are so stupid that they can get away with it, the only negative feedback is their policies are starting to kill off their base.

 

[crashtech]

High drug prices are partly a result of the market distortions that occur due to health insurance having morphed over the last half century or so into comprehensive plans that are expected to pay for everything. It would be great if consumers would just shun companies that charge too much for their products, but due to a majority of people being insulated from the true cost, "voting with the wallet" is not as powerful a force as it ought to be. So distortions will inevitably beget more distortions in the form of more regulations that, if not very carefully managed, risk stifling the innovation that brings new and better treatments for illness.

So much more complicated than "them is bad, we is good," but whatever.

 

[Doc Savage Fan]

Obama made a huge concessions in his backroom deal with Big Pharma and you heard next to nothing from Democrats.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/13/internal-memo-confirms-bi_n_258285.html

But this lack of willingness of Republicans to do the Democrats bidding...well, they're outraged of course!

 

[Moonbeam]

Obama made a huge concessions in his backroom deal with Big Pharma and you heard next to nothing from Democrats.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/13/internal-memo-confirms-bi_n_258285.html

But this lack of willingness of Republicans to do the Democrats bidding...well, they're outraged of course!

I'm outraged he made those concessions. Why did he make them? Why don't we have a single payer universal health care system?

 

[Sonikku]

No need to allow anyone to investigate the rising cost of meds. We all already know its because of Obamacare.

 

[Genx87]

This issue can be solved by stopping our protectionist policies for prescription drugs. Im sure that is something both parties would jump on. amirite?

 

[K1052]

Obama made a huge concessions in his backroom deal with Big Pharma and you heard next to nothing from Democrats.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/13/internal-memo-confirms-bi_n_258285.html

But this lack of willingness of Republicans to do the Democrats bidding...well, they're outraged of course!

Uh...in the article you posted:

The new uncertainty surrounding the deal comes after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has repeatedly said that her chamber is not bound by any agreement it is not a party to. On July 8th, the day after the Journal reported some elements of the deal, Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) said in a public speech that his committee would not be tied down by the agreement.

Before recess, he followed through. His committee passed a bill that allowed for re-importation and drug-price negotiations.

 

[Jaskalas]

I'm outraged he made those concessions. Why did he make them? Why don't we have a single payer universal health care system?

Shots fired...

But this lack of willingness of Republicans to do the Democrats bidding...well, they're outraged of course!

Why shouldn't Republicans be on board with consumer protection?
Heck, I'd argue life/death meds go beyond that. This is an important issue.

 

[crashtech]

The most effective way that high drug prices are combated is by insurance companies refusing to cover them. But then we get pissed at the insurance company for being miserly instead of at the pharmaceutical company for being greedy.

If we want to do something about drug prices, we should be encouraging the insurance companies to deny the expensive new meds and to provide viable alternatives. They do this now, but it's demonized instead of encouraged. The good news is that many of the medicines that get denied, later become accepted when the price comes out the stratosphere.

 

[Doc Savage Fan]

Uh...in the article you posted:

Obama's support for drug importation suddenly waned after his deal. You ever wonder why? He agreed to oppose it in order to get Big Pharma's support for ACA.

http://www.rxrights.org/obama-restricts-access-to-cheaper-prescription-drugs/

"Allow Americans to buy their medicines from other developed countries if the drugs are safe and prices are lower outside the U.S." - Another Obama promise broken.

 

[Doc Savage Fan]

Why shouldn't Republicans be on board with consumer protection?
Heck, I'd argue life/death meds go beyond that. This is an important issue.

Possibly for the same reason Senate Democrats weren't on board with all those bipartisan jobs bills they blocked? There's apparently no incentive to play nice anymore....meanwhile this nation suffers.

 

[soulcougher73]

Gotta appease their God

 

[soundforbjt]

Obama's support for drug importation suddenly waned after his deal. You ever wonder why? He agreed to oppose it in order to get Big Pharma's support for ACA.

http://www.rxrights.org/obama-restricts-access-to-cheaper-prescription-drugs/

"Allow Americans to buy their medicines from other developed countries if the drugs are safe and prices are lower outside the U.S." - Another Obama promise broken.

That's all fine & dandy, but what has that got to do with the repubs not willing to investigate prices now?

 

[K1052]

Obama's support for drug importation suddenly waned after his deal. You ever wonder why? He agreed to oppose it in order to get Big Pharma's support for ACA.

http://www.rxrights.org/obama-restricts-access-to-cheaper-prescription-drugs/

"Allow Americans to buy their medicines from other developed countries if the drugs are safe and prices are lower outside the U.S." - Another Obama promise broken.

I don't see how that refutes my point that Democrats did indeed object to the deal. The issue has come up since in Congress...usually from the Democrats.

However I don't see much realistic movement possible on this as both parties are too deep into the pharmaceutical industry pockets, albeit on divergent (but complementary) tracks.

 

[Doc Savage Fan]

That's all fine & dandy, but what has that got to do with the repubs not willing to investigate prices now?

I was merely contrasting the various levels of outrage we see from Democrats on this issue...I find it amusing.

 

[K1052]

Possibly for the same reason Senate Democrats weren't on board with all those bipartisan jobs bills they blocked? There's apparently no incentive to play nice anymore....meanwhile this nation suffers.

http://www.factcheck.org/2014/11/boehners-bipartisan-bunk/

There is bipartisan and "bipartisan".

 

[Strk]

This issue can be solved by stopping our protectionist policies for prescription drugs. Im sure that is something both parties would jump on. amirite?

But I was told we should fear importing drugs from other countries!

I don't see Hilary doing anything about it either if she gets elected. The GOP candidate definitely won't either.

 

[theeedude]

It's not Obama that's blocking this investigation, it's House GOP, so nice diversion.

 

[Doc Savage Fan]

I don't see how that refutes my point that Democrats did indeed object to the deal. The issue has come up since in Congress...usually from the Democrats.

However I don't see much realistic movement possible on this as both parties are too deep into the pharmaceutical industry pockets, albeit on divergent (but complementary) tracks.

And my point is that Obama is orders of magnitude more culpable for the problems we see today with Big Pharma. Apparently many Democrats don't want any importation in order to reduce costs...at least those in the Senate don't.

30 of 48 Nay votes were Democrats (2009)
https://www.opencongress.org/articl...tion-Amendment-Protects-the-Secret-PhRMA-Deal

Why would the Senate vote down such an amendment? Mike Lillis at the Washington Independent explains:

The amendment, sponsored by Sens. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), has been a week-long thorn in the side to Democratic leaders — not because they opposed the provision, but because it threatened to undermine a deal cut earlier in the year between the White House and the nation’s pharmaceutical companies. Under that agreement, the drug makers pledged up to $80 billion toward health-care reform over the next decade if Democratic leaders would withhold their support for several proposals that would cut further into the companies’ profits, including the drug re-importation provision. As a result, White House officials in recent days had urged Democrats to oppose the Dorgan-Snowe amendment, with the FDA writing a letter to senators warning that the agency “does not have clear authority over foreign supply chains.”​

24 of 53 Nay votes were Democrats (2012)
http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/229397-republicans-senators-slam-obama-on-drug-reimportation

 

[K1052]

And my point is that Obama is orders of magnitude more culpable for the problems we see today with Big Pharma. Apparently many Democrats don't want to importation in order to reduce costs...at least those in the Senate don't.

But why should that argument excuse the House from investigating?

I don't think it does.