Friday, January 12, 2007

Medicare Price Negotiation - Walberg Votes No



As the 100 Hours continue today, Democrats took up the issue of allowing Medicare to negotiate with prescription drug companies for lower prices. It's worth noting that private insurance does this already. Only Medicare is paying higher, un-negotiated prices. It allows the federal government to participate in the free market like any other economic player. The bill, HR 4, passed 255-170.

Tim Walberg voted No. This time, 24 Republicans joined the Democrats in voting yes, but the entire Republican delegation from Michigan voted against the bill. Democratic Congressman Sander Levin (MI-12) did not vote.

Just as an interesting side-note, the pharmaceutical industry contributed $10,172,305 to Republicans during the 2006 election cycle, or 69 percent of their total contributions. Since 1990, the industry has contributed $90,146,207 to Republicans, or about 67 percent of their contributions during the period. However, according to Open Secrets, Tim Walberg did not receive any contributions from the industry.

Did that have anything to do with the way they voted?

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Comments:
"Did that have anything to do with the way they voted?"

No I don't think it did, he just votes NO on everything, because he doesen't undertand complex issues and it's the easy thing to do.
 
The prescription drug bill passed by Democrats is just a massive shift. Maybe seniors will get cheaper drugs but the rest of us will pay for it with higher drug prices and insurance premiums. I'm glad Walberg voted against it and I hope Bush vetoes it.
 
How sad that Biff believes that cutting costs for seniors will result in higher prices for his age group. He will be a senior one day; plus the drug manufacturers have been selling their product at higher prices in the US than in other countries. Is he suggesting that we all should become patsies to the drug companys and pay their exhorbitant profits? How naive! Jim
 
How sad that jim carr thinks someone like biff is naive for speaking out against this bill. Biff's concerns are very valid. I too believe my younger age group will now bear a larger burden in my health insurance premiums for subsidizing negotiated medicare prescriptions. The prescription plan was an expansive federal program foisted upon us by a GOP controlled House which is going to cost us tons of cash over our lifetimes. Now, the democrats get their hands on the program and actually are proposing a rule chage which will reduce the federal government's financial obligation, while increasing the benefit to seniors. Biff's take on the vote is very preceptive in my opinion. My insurance premium will likely go up, but my tax obligation will go down resulting in very little net effect on me. To me on a personal level, this vote is small potatoes, but I might be missing something. It is a gift to seniors. It will not do nothing to cut into drug co. profits, (I'd still invest in them if I had some spare cash laying around) and the U.S. will still continue to subsidize cheap drugs around the world. This bill is not a silver bullet as jim believes.

What we are missing up to this point is that bill will likely be scored by the Club for Growth. Check out this quote from Stephen Moore, one of the founders of "the Club:"

“I can say this because I'm not an elected official: the most selfish group in America today is senior citizens. Their demands on Washington are: 'Give us more and more and more.' They have become the new welfare state, and given the size and political clout of this constituency, it's very dangerous. One of the biggest myths in politics today is this idea that grandparents care about their grandkids. What they really care about is that that Social Security check and those Medicare payments are made on a timely basis.” [The American Spectator, 11/1/02]

These are the people who backed Tim Walberg with nearly all of his campaign funds. He owes your Congressional seat to them and will vote their position every time.
 
Couldn't agree more. Walberg is a wholly owned subsidiary of Club for Growth and owes them everything for his seat in Congress. He'll vote with and for them every time.

He sold what little soul he had to them. He's a disgrace and so is CFG.
 
Timbo went five for six on the 100 hour agenda. No surprise.
 
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