Great Article re Sanders Bill.....

[ciaobaby]

I'm thinnking this should be the final word on the reason so many of us are angry with the Dems that voted with the republicans on the Sanders bill to obtain low price meds from Canada.
I must be careful how I put this as I will be in trouble if I dare to speak against a "democrat" regardless of the reason.
From the article :
But here’s the big question: If Booker and the other Democrats are so concerned about drug safety, why did they vote for the 21st Century Cures Act? Sold as a path to innovation, the bill was actually a massive giveaway to drug companies that wanted an end-run around safety regulations. It came with promises to spend more on public health needs, but those promises were designed to be easily broken.
the Democrats who voted against the Sanders/Klobuchar amendment included some of biggest recipients of pharma cash on their side of the aisle. Booker tops that list with $267,338. Sen. Patty Murray was close behind with $254,649, while Robert Casey received $250,730 and Michael Bennet netted $222,000.

These thirteen Democrats have damaged efforts to provide truly affordable health care. They’ve robbed their party of the moral high ground on an issue voters care deeply about. And they’ve ceded the rhetorical high ground to the empty posturing of the soon-to-be-inaugurated Bloviator in Chief, who said this week that drug companies are “getting away with murder.”

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rj-eskow/-booker-and-the-other-big_b_14150632.html?1484337529

[Thinkingabout]

1. I wish there was a great effort placed towards getting the pharmaceutical prices

Down in the US. We pay the highest prices, much higher than in other countries. This would also being down the cost of healthcare, resulting in lower insurance rates for all.

[ciaobaby]

3. Well that won't happen

At least for the next 4 years. Pharma lobby is powerful.
And with democrats protecting their income source it may never happen.

[Thinkingabout]

4. Guess you could say the same for allowing prescriptions from Canada, etc.

Guess this is one of many disappointments we will face with the election of Trump, surely nothing progresive coming our way.

[ciaobaby]

5. Unfortunately, we can't blame this all on Trump.

This bill could have passed were it not for the "democrats" who were more interested in keeping the Pharma $$ flowing.

[Thinkingabout]

6. Not any more than getting down the cost in the US allowing us to go to

Our pharmacies and purchase our drugs in the US. Allowing prescriptions to be purchased in Canada will not make our healthcare affordable.

[ciaobaby]

7. The bill was meant to import drugs from Canada at the lower cost.

Had the bill passed you would not have to go to Canada to get a lower prices.

[Ccarmona]

27. Reason #454

To Get Money Out of our Politics, and counting....

[HoneyBadger]

31. No more corporate $

Please, for the children

[still_one]

2. I agree with the disgust for these Democrats expressed in the OP, the statement regarding how

they damaged efforts to provide truly affordable health care is hyperbole. The election did that.

It was those self-identified progressives who refused to vote for Hillary, either by voting third party, not voting, or voting write in.

In Michigan Hillary lost by .3%. Jill Stein received 1.1%. Similar results in Wisconsin, and every critical swing state.

In addition, every Democrat running for Senate in those critical swing states, lost to the establishment, incumbent, republican.

The House and the Senate just passed to repeal the ACA.

Any bets that they won't replace it Medicare for all?

Perhaps the nomination of Price for HHS was only a joke, and they don't really mean to destroy Medicaid, Medicare, and the ACA, but I wouldn't count on it.

[Doreen]

8. Medicare will be effected.

Medicare changed and got better right along with Obamacare coming in. Medicare is so wrapped up in Obamacare. I have gotten procedures done on my Medicare that would never have been done if it had not been for Obamacare. When Obamacare disappears so will Medicare or it will be so bad it will not be worth it. I am scared to death right now.

[still_one]

19. No, Medicare will not disappear if the ACA goes away. Expanded MEDICAID however, will be

immediately affected.

What the ACA did for Medicare was lower the cost of drugs, and reduce expenses. No Medicare benefit was cut because of the ACA. There was also some cost reduction involved on those enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans.

I don't know what you are referring to when you say it was because of the ACA that you had procedures done that would not have been allowed under Medicare.

The ACA changed the focus to keeping older people healthy, providing annual wellness visits as well as preventive screenings for diabetes, and certain cancers. It also lowers the cost of drugs and closes the "doughnut hole"

The repeal of the ACA should NOT affect current Medicare coverage. What the ACA did was actually save Medicare money, and that will hurt Medicare.

The repeal of the ACA will directly affect the 20 million or more people who are covered by it, and that is immoral.

The concern people on Medicare should have is trump's HHS nominee Tom Price, who wants to dismantle Medicare. Among other things, the HHS is the agency that approves what procedures and tests are allowed under Medicare, and that should scare everyone, but especially those currently under Medicare.

There are over 65 million people that are currently covered by Medicare. Both Social Security and Medicare are extremely popular programs. We have been paying into it for decades, and we are entitled to the benefits that we have paid into it. Ryan and others are proposing changes to Medicare that will destroy it.

I am not sure what is going to happen. I am not sure what the Democrats can do as the minority party, but I do know there are a lot of people who depend on Medicare, and a lot of those people are republicans who voted these cretins in. The question is will those republicans realize that their very lives are at stake and do something about it?

[Doreen]

20. Before ACA Medicare would not allow me to have knee replacements or yearly female visits. As ACA

went into effect so did the usefulness of Medicare. Yes, prices have gone down also. They managed to work the good things in ACA into Medicare and there is no reason for them to leave those things in Medicare while they destroy ACA and Medicade. I am assuming I will be losing my Medicare, SSDI, EBT, and low income housing. As far as the incoming office is concerned it is all the same so it all needs to go.

[still_one]

24. There is no doubt what there intentions ar Doreen. As far as I am aware they cannot get rid of

Medicare by budget reconciliation, but it is seriously at risk as you pointed out.

Ryan made very clear what he wants to do with Medicare, and that is to Privatize. If that happens, it would be a disaster

[seaglass]

9. It's not the fucking Sanders bill. It is Amy Klobuchar's amendment. She was the

sponsor, Bernie the co-sponsor.

[RedWedge]

11. You beat me to it.

Thank you for doing so.

[ciaobaby]

14. Joint bill by Sanders and Klobuchar

Booker joined with 12 other Democratic senators Wednesday night to vote against a budget-resolution amendment jointly proposed by Sens. Bernie Sanders and Amy Klobuchar to allow both pharmacies and people with prescriptions to order their pharmaceuticals from Canada and other countries where they sell for significantly cheaper prices than in the United States

[ciaobaby]

13. Joint bill by Sanders and Klobuchar

Booker joined with 12 other Democratic senators Wednesday night to vote against a budget-resolution amendment jointly proposed by Sens. Bernie Sanders and Amy Klobuchar to allow both pharmacies and people with prescriptions to order their pharmaceuticals from Canada and other countries where they sell for significantly cheaper prices than in the United States

[seaglass]

16. Sponsor, co-sponsor

Amends Bill: S.Con.Res.3 — A concurrent resolution setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2017 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2018 through 2026.
Sponsor: Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN] (Submitted 01/11/2017, Proposed 01/11/2017)
Cosponsors: 1
Latest Action: 01/11/2017 Amendment SA 178 not agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 46 - 52. Record Vote Number: 20.


Cosponsor Date Cosponsored
Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT]* 01/11/2017

https://www.congress.gov/amendment/115th-congress/senate-amendment/178/cosponsors

[Cha]

47. Thank you for that, seaglass! No way should Senator Amy Klobuchar's

name be left off!

Amends Bill: S.Con.Res.3 — A concurrent resolution setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2017 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2018 through 2026.
Sponsor: Sen. Klobuchar, Amy (Submitted 01/11/2017, Proposed 01/11/2017)
Cosponsors: 1
Latest Action: 01/11/2017 Amendment SA 178 not agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 46 - 52. Record Vote Number: 20.


Cosponsor Date Cosponsored
Sen. Sanders, Bernard * 01/11/2017

https://www.congress.gov/amendment/115th-congress/senate-amendment/178/cosponsors

Amy's name comes FIRST. Give Credit where it's due. Thank you!

[ciaobaby]

15. Joint bill by Sanders and Klobuchar

good lord you people are and angry group - just mention Sanders and you all implode. Chill.


Booker joined with 12 other Democratic senators Wednesday night to vote against a budget-resolution amendment jointly proposed by Sens. Bernie Sanders and Amy Klobuchar to allow both pharmacies and people with prescriptions to order their pharmaceuticals from Canada and other countries where they sell for significantly cheaper prices than in the United States

[seaglass]

17. Facts matter to some people. n/t

[ciaobaby]

18. Alrighty then

But the point was not who's bill it is (sponsor, co sponsor) but rather the fact that it was Dems that made it fail - or does that not matter to you ?

[Cha]

44. Yes, FACTS do matter, seaglass.. thank you! Amy Klobuchar should not

be left out especially since she is the Sponsor.

[Cha]

40. Thank you, seaglass! Amy Klobuchar's Amendment. Why is Amy's name

being omitted?

[RedWedge]

10. This wasn't Sanders' amendment. It was Klobuchar's.

[ciaobaby]

12. Jointly purposed by Sanders and Klobuchar.

Booker joined with 12 other Democratic senators Wednesday night to vote against a budget-resolution amendment jointly proposed by Sens. Bernie Sanders and Amy Klobuchar to allow both pharmacies and people with prescriptions to order their pharmaceuticals from Canada and other countries where they sell for significantly cheaper prices than in the United States

[baldguy]

21. Klobuchar is the sponsor.

Sanders is an opportunistic hanger-on.

[ciaobaby]

22. Seriously.....

You Bernie haters are just unreal.
I suppose its OK with you that the dems who voted no on THE bill killed it. Cause all you can focus on is your hate of Bernie Sanders.
Pathetic.

[baldguy]

23. I don't hate Sanders. I just don't think he should claim credit for somthing he didn't start.

You Democrat haters are just unreal. Always searching for any way to tear down the only party that will oppose the fascist RW Republicans. Really pathetic.

[ciaobaby]

25. Maybe you should see how Klobuchar feels about his co-sponsorship.

I am thinking she is proud to have it.

And how do you feel about the dems that killed the bill. Still too busy criticizing Sanders for co-sponsoring a bill.
And perhaps you could just blame the press for attaching his name to the bill. But wait, his name is on the bill as co-sponsor, so there's that.

[baldguy]

28. Yes, but a co-sponsor of a bill or amendment is not the sponsor. The title of your OP is a lie.

It's the "Klobuchar amendment", not the "Sanders amendment".

[ciaobaby]

32. Again, do you feel as strongly about the dems that killed the bill.

Or are you just here to trash Bernie and now me ?

[baldguy]

34. Put the capital back in "Dems". It's a proper noun.

Show some respect for the only party that stands against the fascist RW Republicans.

[Cha]

42. Yeah, why is Amy's name being left off when she is the actual

sponsor?

[baldguy]

45. Because it's a way to undemine Democrats' influance.

It's "See? Look what Bernie has done! Why don't the (corrupt corporate) Democrats do something like this?" When meanwhile, in the real world it wouldn't have gotten done without Democrats.

Some of that "dictatorial, authoritarian, undemocratic" leadership from the Democrats that Sanders campaigned against so hard would have gone a long way toward passing the amendment.

[truebluegreen]

26. Sure you do.

And the Democratic Party did a great job on this vote, didn't they? Way to stand up, Democrats!

[baldguy]

29. Some of that "dictatorial, authoritarian" from the Dem leadership that Sanders campaigned against

so hard would have gone a long way toward passing the amendment.

[truebluegreen]

35. Depends, doesn't it?

on what they were standing up for. Which was always the point.

[baldguy]

36. Do you believe that a united Democratic caucus would have voted against it with the Republicans?

Really?

[truebluegreen]

37. What are you talking about?

Really. Voting against what? The ACA? The amendment on prescription drugs from Canada? What is "it"?

If "it" is the amendment, may I point out the final vote was 46-52 against, with 2 abstentions and 13 effing so-called Democrats votes against (including my own Senator!)...and 12 Republicans votes for.

It is a sad dawgdamned day when a Republican has more concern about benefiting the citizens than a Democrat does. I don't even care if it is only grandstanding! SAD.

And please don't bring up Cory Booker's lame excuse about "safety standards" in the un-regulated hellhole that is Canada.

[baldguy]

38. Have you read any of this thread at all?

Or are you just here to attack Democrats?

[truebluegreen]

39. Are you just trying to deflect? I was talking to you.

[baldguy]

41. It's not my job to read posts for you & explain them to you.

If you want to repeat fascist RW talking points implying there's no difference between the Democrats and Republicans, that's you business.

[truebluegreen]

43. Still ducking I see (don't you just hate it

when you find yourself trying to defend the indefensible?). But you are right about one thing: talking to you is to no purpose whatsoever.

[baldguy]

46. So, Democrats & the Democratic Party are "indefensible", now?

Last edited Sat Jan 14, 2017, 10:59 PM - Edit history (1)

Are you getting your lines from Jill Stein?

[Trust Buster]

30. Bingo. Hope the hyper-alerter's don't get you.

[ciaobaby]

33. The alerter's haven't gotten me yet. That was yesterday.

but the Bernie haters are revved up tonight for some reason I don't understand.