Bernie Sanders bulldozes HHS Secretary Azar over drug prices

[Hassin Bin Sober]

http://theweek.com/speedreads/778636/bernie-sanders-bulldozes-hhs-secretary-alex-azar-over-dangerously-high-drug-prices

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) skewered the Trump administration for not doing enough to lower drug prices during a heated exchange with Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar on Tuesday. "My guess would be that if we get letters — and I'm sure every senator does — from people who are struggling with cancer, among other life threatening diseases, and they can't afford the medicine, I would guess that thousands of people die each year," Sanders said during a congressional hearing. "Do you think that's something you might want to look at?"

Azar replied that such a study would not "change our commitment to fix this issue."

"It wouldn't? Because thousands of people are dying," Sanders said, speaking over Azar as he attempted to explain that the Trump administration is "firmly committed to reducing drug pricing and out-of-patient costs."

"Oh I know you are, oh I know you are," Sanders continued to say over Azar.


Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) skewered the Trump administration for not doing enough to lower drug prices during a heated exchange with Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar on Tuesday. "My guess would be that if we get letters — and I'm sure every senator does — from people who are struggling with cancer, among other life threatening diseases, and they can't afford the medicine, I would guess that thousands of people die each year," Sanders said during a congressional hearing. "Do you think that's something you might want to look at?"

Azar replied that such a study would not "change our commitment to fix this issue."

"It wouldn't? Because thousands of people are dying," Sanders said, speaking over Azar as he attempted to explain that the Trump administration is "firmly committed to reducing drug pricing and out-of-patient costs."

"Oh I know you are, oh I know you are," Sanders continued to say over Azar.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Fiery exchange between Sen. <a href="https://twitter.com/BernieSanders?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BernieSanders</a> and HHS <a href="https://twitter.com/SecAzar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecAzar</a> just now over the cost of drug prices and whether the Trump administration is doing enough to lower them. <a href="https://t.co/Y6dpQ4SWUC">pic.twitter.com/Y6dpQ4SWUC</a></p>— Dan Diamond (@ddiamond) <a href="

Link to tweet

?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[gratuitous]

1. Senator Warren had a go at Secretary Azar as well

I guess Azar was hoping that nobody would remember that Trump said two weeks ago that the pharmaceutical companies would be drastically lowering prices in two weeks. Since nobody can ask Trump about his grandiose pronouncements, I guess we'll have to settle for making Azar squirm a little bit.

Will the popular media keep reminding the Trump administration of the broken promise of lower drug prices?

[MrPool]

2. Bernie the Buldozer!!! Sounds like a wrestling name.

Of course wrestlers have to declare their income so that won't work.

[NurseJackie]

8. "Sounds like a wrestling name." --- That's very clever! I agree! Thanks for the chuckle!

2. Bernie the Bulldozer!!! Sounds like a wrestling name.

That's very clever! I agree! Thanks for the chuckle! (But I can let you know with a great deal of certainty that our shared sense of humor is NOT shared by at least one other person. And, I'll just leave it at that. PM me if you need more details.)

[jalan48]

3. Well done Bernie.

[George II]

4. In case anyone missed it:

[NurseJackie]

15. Thanks! (That really doesn't fit in with the "only Bernie can save us" narrative, does it?)

[sharedvalues]

5. Azar is ex-Eli Lilly

And he was in on the Pence Indiana pharma cabal.



https://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/hhs-political-appointees-resumes-show-ties-price-pence

[Squinch]

6. Really? He "bulldozed" him? In a "heated exchange" no less. Gosh.

[NurseJackie]

10. Swoon! So dreamy!

[Jim Lane]

12. I saw a thread title that mentioned Bernie favorably. I made a prediction about the responses.

My prediction was mostly accurate, but I admit that my numbers were off. You and Squinch have been abandoned by the rest of the tribe. But cheer up, what the bashing lacks in quantity it makes up for in quality.

Say, did you know that Bernie's not a Democrat?

[NurseJackie]

14. "You and Squinch have been abandoned by the rest of the tribe." --- Ha! :-D

Say, did you know that Bernie's not a Democrat?

I know. I know. And he says divisive and insulting things such as Democrats and the Democratic party are "corrupt" and "feeble" and "ideologically bankrupt". I guess what I'm trying to say here is that with such divisive rhetoric and attacks it's very little wonder that so few people takes seriously the repeated mantra that he's a party ally. Loyal Democrats wouldn't stand for that from the likes of Dick Cheney, why should anyone else be allowed to get away with those types of smears? These types of attacks really serve no good purpose.

[betsuni]

16. You won't win.

[NurseJackie]

18. It's like...

It's like nobody else exists and he's doing it all on his own... and that's simply not true. All I'm saying is that there's nothing wrong with using humor to add bring things back into the real world.

[Squinch]

19. I bashed? Pshaw. Bashing is when you publicly

badmouth someone or some group. Stupid bashing is when you publicly badmouth the group that is standing between the world and more trump.

I did none of those.

But someone we know does that all the time.

You should grow a skin.

[Uncle Joe]

7. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread Hassin Bin Sober

[mountain grammy]

9. K & R

Senator Warren went after him too.. the thugs? not so much.

[leftstreet]

11. DURec

[Jim Lane]

13. I'm glad the article notes that this was a Trump campaign pledge.

It was part of Trump's faux populism. It probably got him some votes from dimwits who thought he'd actually take on the plutocracy.

[disillusioned73]

17. K&R..

these are issues that resonate w/ voters.. so obviously the corporate media with all it's pharmaceutical commercial $$$$$ will ignore it.. remember that next time a Prevacid commercial comes on..