Sen. Sanders speaks to packed crowd at Portsmouth Democrat Banquet

[cal04]

http://www.seacoastonline.com/article/20150925/NEWS/150929337
Democratic presidential candidate and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., recalled Friday night at the Portsmouth Democrats annual banquet the time he drove Vermont residents into Canada to purchase cancer-treating medicine.

Championing for more affordable pharmaceuticals in the U.S., Sanders talked about when he was a congressman taking a group of mostly northern Vermont women battling breast cancer to Montreal in the 1990s to purchase medicine at a tenth of the price that they could get it in the U.S.

"I'll never forget the tears coming out of their eyes," Sanders said.

(snip)
Portsmouth Democrats Chairman Larry Drake opened the night's proceedings, calling the crowd of roughly 300 the first sell out in the annual banquet's 10-year run.


Bernie Sanders speaks in Portsmouth
video at link
http://www.wmur.com/news/bernie-sanders-speaks-in-portsmouth/35496764

(snip)
“One out of five Americans who don’t have a doctor and get a prescription, cannot afford to fill that prescription,” he said.

Sanders said Medicare must be allowed to negotiate with drug companies to bring down costs to consumers and taxpayers.

He added that Americans who pay the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs should be allowed to buy medicine from Canada and other countries.

Sanders also pressed for Congress to pass his plan to strengthen and expand Social Security.

[Enthusiast]

1. It comes down to this. Are we going to embrace corporate rule?

If we cannot enact Medicare for All, with zero insurance industry and pharmaceutical industry influence, just go ahead and resign yourselves to the fact that the USA as you knew it is no longer in existence.

[Enthusiast]

2. K&R! This post should have hundreds of recommendations!

[retrowire]

3. the smear will be this so be prepared

"Bernie Sanders smuggled drugs across the border"

so yeah just be wary of that.

[SoapBox]

4. But, but, but...

Big Pharma is a just a "person" and bringing down prices will hurt their billions in profit!

[merrily]

5. "the first sell out in the annual banquet's 10-year run."

[nenagh]

6. NBNB...my fear is that the TPP or other trade policies, may significantly increase..

the cost of medications in Canada...

If that is so, the policy of purchasing cheaper meds in Canada may be built on a foundation of sand..

Thank heavens Senator Sander's is bringing the cost of medications into the national conversation..and he has a strong position against the TPP.