Tonight the Senate began voting on amendments to the health care bill for the first time in days. Near the top of the agenda: an amendment from Democratic Sen. Byron Dorgan that would have allowed U.S. pharmacies and drug wholesalers to “reimport” drugs from foreign countries. It was was voted down 51-48. (Amendments need 60 votes to pass, according to an agreement between the majority leader and minority leader.) It might seem like a simple win for the drug industry and a defeat for the American consumer already buckling under the cost of high-priced pharmaceuticals. But, like so much related to health care reform, glossing over the particulars ignores some of the real policy and political issues at stake.
If the weekend is any guide, the Senate health reform bill is not likely to undergo much tweaking. Between Friday and Sunday, despite hours of debate on the Senate floor, the only amendments that passed were those from Democrats simply reiterating things the bill already calls for. One sponsored by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse was a [...]
I’ve always had trouble understanding the opt-out version of the public option. Or more specifically, I’ve had trouble understanding why any state would actually opt out of something that some might find ideologically objectionable, but that doesn’t actually cost them anything, gives their citizens a choice, and might actually bring in some government money down [...]
I’m still wading through the Congressional Budget Office’s preliminary analysis of the health care bill that Majority Leader Harry Reid will be taking to the Senate floor, but here’s a Power Point circulating among Senate Democratic staffers that gives you a basic tour of the bill, with some comparisons to other versions. UPDATE: For those [...]
