Yesterday, at 11:06 pm, 13 Democratic Senators voted to defeat a budget measure that would have allowed the importation of low-cost drugs from Canada. The amendment was defeated, 46-52, with 12 Republicans voted yea.
Yes, that’s right, a Republican-Democratic bipartisan majority could have passed a budget measure supporting the importation of low-cost prescription drugs from Canada, but we couldn’t get enough Democratic votes.
Here are the amazing “Democrats” that voted against this proposal:
- Bennet (D-CO)
- Booker (D-NJ)
- Cantwell (D-WA)
- Carper (D-DE)
- Casey (D-PA)
- Coons (D-DE)
- Donnelly (D-IN)
- Heinrich (D-NM)
- Heitkamp (D-ND)
- Menendez (D-NJ)
- Murray (D-WA)
- Tester (D-MT)
- Warner (D-VA)
Here are the 12 Republicans that supported it:
- Boozman (R-AR)
- Collins (R-ME)
- Cruz (R-TX)
- Flake (R-AZ)
- Grassley (R-IA)
- Heller (R-NV)
- Kennedy (R-LA)
- Lee (R-UT)
- McCain (R-AZ)
- Murkowski (R-AK)
- Paul (R-KY)
- Thune (R-SD)
Who’s been a leading champion of using imported Canadian drugs to lower US drug prices? Bernie Sanders. It was a key part of his 2016 primary campaign. Canadians pay almost 40% less for the same prescription drugs as Americans, and despite having equivalent regulations to the US FDA, the drug companies and the FDA have vigorously opposed Bernie’s efforts since his first attempt to pass this legislation in mid-1990s.
I would invite you to pause and consider why these 13 Democrats wouldn’t want to help the average American get drugs at a lower price.
I’ll leave you with these words from Bernie Sanders:
Sanders said he plans to give congressional Republicans a chance to decide whether they want to side with their incoming president or the pharmaceutical industry Wednesday night. During the spree of votes outlining federal budget priorities, he plans to offer an amendment that would allow the U.S. to import prescription drugs from other countries with robust regulatory regimes, including Canada and the United Kingdom. Since those countries negotiate with Big Pharma, their costs are lower, and importing the medicine from abroad would cut costs. The amendment would be nonbinding, but establish the policy as a budget priority.
“The question is whether Trump and his Republican colleagues have the guts to take on one of the most powerful industries in America,” Sanders said. “It’s not gonna be done, of course.”
The Republicans stepped up to support Bernie, where were the Democrats?