How many damn times do the Lieberman's of the party have to do this kind of thing before you neo-libs wake up to the fact that the democratic party was hijacked years ago?

That's what the whole neoliberal stuff some of us have been whining about is really about mostly. This is also why voter turn out is so low.

This guy got bought out for just over $250k. That's the salary cut off for needing financial living assistance in fucking Palo Alto California.

*shrug*

Oh, I've seen through Booker's bullshit for awhile now. I am just shocked he did it in this atmosphere. Everyone I know in New Jersey (where I am from) is about ready to form a mob.

I regret voting for Patty Murray.

You should ring her office and tell her (or her staff).

Oh, I plan to. I can't not believe I let her slide on the Super-Delegate vote she cast just for this to be the end result.

Fucking ridiculous.

I already sent her a fax, will call her tomorrow, since she's now my senator too. Sent one to my old douchenozzle senator Michael Bennett, too. Even replaced "Honorable" with "Continual Embarrassment" in front of his name.

Yeah... that'll show em.

Hey everyone, guess what?

At least it took nearly twice the amount it took Booker to fuck us over.

Motherfuckers... all of them.

There was a second import amendment that all the dems voted for. What was wrong with that one?

Not following you here? There were numerous amendments and resolutions voted on/brought to the floor, you'll need to narrow this down.

Anyway, if this is some attempt at apologetics: S.178 was the only vote that could have passed yesterday had the Democrats voted in bloc since there were enough Republics voting yay. So essentially, this is really the only one that actually mattered.

And that is doubly true when you remember one of the bills passed today is to end the ACA, so that cheap medication could really have helped a lot of people.

The Wyden amendment would have allowed importation of certified drugs. All the dems voted for it, including booker. Why would the sanders amendment have passed but the wyden amendment not?
I'm not a booker advocate, I'm wondering if there's more to the story than booker sucks. Did the republicans support sanders because they knew it would fail?
I'm suspicious of this because it had 13 R votes.

That one is useless, and this is like the 8th time it's been pulled. Essentially, it's a way for people like Booker to say they voted for something like this (when they voted against what could have actually worked) because they know there will never be a certification process.

This such an old trick, it's sort of played out.

This is also why the Republican that crossed the aisle, crossed for the one that didn't include certification because it was a Republican that first tried to pass a non-certification version and was shut down with the same bullshit excuse.

Sorry to say, but Booker, Murray and the rest are without excuse.

Pardon my ignorance. Aren't all drugs sold in US subject to cert?

Yes, but see the point is that the drugs we sell to Canada are the exact same ones we sell here and are already certified.


And yes, we have such a ridiculous system here that it is cheaper for us to make the medication here, ship it to Canada, have Canada ship it back to us and it is to just buy it here.

Bernie's bill only applied to re-imports of US made drugs? That does seem like an easy vote.

HoZay, there is almost no major pharmaceutical companies that are not US based. I think 5 of the top 20 aren't and even then, those 5 are STILL certified and still sell the exact same medication to us as to Canada.

Yeah, it should have been an easy vote. And that is why I am unapologetic in calling Booker a son of a bitch.

OK. I thought maybe there were counterfeits to be screened out.
I'm gonna have to study up on this cuz I feel I must be missing something.

Yes, read the article... or the excerpt I just posted.

From the article itself:

The safety excuse has long been a refuge for policymakers who don’t want to assist Americans struggling with prescription drug costs. Bills to legalize importation passed in 2000 and 2007, but expired after the Clinton and Bush administrations refused to certify that it would be safe. The Obama administration also cited safety concerns when opposing an importation measure in the Affordable Care Act.

A second amendment Wednesday, authored by Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden, would have allowed importation pending a safety certification, just like the previous laws passed on the subject. It also failed. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., used that amendment to claim on Twitter that he voted “to lower drug prices through importation from Canada,” and Booker referred to the Wyden amendment in his statement as well. This is a well-worn tactic from opponents of importation to mislead their constituents, as they know such certification will never occur.

The safety excuse is mostly a chimera, as most of the drugs that would be imported from Canada were originally manufactured in the United States; they’re just cheaper there, because the Canadian government uses a review board and price negotiation to make drugs more affordable.

“My first response to that is show me the dead Canadians. Where are the dead Canadians?” former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a Republican, once asked during his own push to allow for importation.


This both explains why 13 Republicans were on board, and why they didn't get on board for the other. This is not their first attempt by a long shot. However, we have passed things like the Wyden Amendment and we have seen exactly how it goes: the certification process never goes anywhere and then the bill, while past, is totally fucking useless.

I don't blame those 13 Republicans for not walking across the aisle again just so they can help democrats in the pocket of big pharma avoid looking like the compromised douche-bags they absolutely are.

Even if the drugs were manufactured in Canada, y'all are missing a serious point:

Canada has MUCH more stringent regulations on drug manufacturing and selling than the United States does, which is EXACTLY the reason why very few drugs are manufactured in Canada. So the safety thing is just a bunch of blatant lies.

This is all a giant heaping pile of bullshit.

I had read that. I just missed the part about the Canadian government being middle man. I thought it would allow importing drugs originating in Canada or elsewhere.

“any plan to allow the importation of prescription medications should also include consumer protections that ensure foreign drugs meet American safety standards. I opposed an amendment put forward last night that didn’t meet this test.”

OK how long and cumbersome would this be? Is it a red herring and which side is being unreasonable? because if we are talking about a random sampling this is standard practice in about anything manufactured, if we are talking about testing regimes that takes years, this is stupid.

The issue isn't how long the testing would take. It's that there will never BE any testing. We know this because we have passed something like the Wyden amendment twice, and then watched as nothing happened because while it was now legal to do, absolutely no one would set up a certifying program.

The red herring is strong with this, and yes totally unreasonable since we manufacture the drugs here in the first place. Plus the amendment itself would not allow direct purchase from Canada or anywhere else, you must go through a licensed vendor here... so if they sold bullshit, they'd lose their ability to sell all medication in the US.

So let me get this straight..there is already a law passed that would allow for importation of drugs after inspection or pending inspection, but there has never been an agency to inspect them?? What about FDA?

I always though the trouble was with the law for medicare and medicaid that won't allow them to negotiate not some let it sit on the dock embargo.

Oh, I agree the inspections are not necessary but if it makes them happy why not. a simple inspection for quality should be done. but if this is some kind of defacto embargo this would be a good first target for a primary. I have always felt there was more sizzle than steak with Booker...that he is a result of hype not substance...lets test it.

Not *is*, was, they expired after years of no one setting up a certification program.

The FDA should easily be equipped to do this, yes.

Medicade and Medicare didn't let them negotiate because the law as written wouldn't allow them in without certification (which didn't exist.)

OK now I am confused get back to you after I do a little reading.
I had just read this.

How to Bring Down Drug Prices Post-Election

Reforms have been proposed at the federal and state level

"At the same time, policymaking around drug prices is politically difficult. Strong pharmaceutical interest groups oppose seemingly any action in this space, arguing that even actions targeted at generic drugs would decrease innovator companies’ incentives to invest in new cures. Although I and others have argued that this concern is oversimplified, it nonetheless has had a significant impact on the debate."

Was the only mention of something like this...not nearly what you are saying...time to do some more reading.

This is the first law, from 2000.


It was passed, however the Bush administration refused to certify.

I am having some difficulty finding the second one, from 2007 but it's the same story. Here is Bernie Sanders discussing it.


And here is yet another example of the certifying process being used to kill a bill.
And then again in 2010, when Obama refused to consider a similar provision in the ACA.

Found it!

This also passed, and also died due to unwillingness to have a certification program.

Thanks for taking the time to find that.