A key part of the Democrats’ ’06 platform was allowing Medicare to negotiate for lower prices on prescription medication. The idea enjoyed broad public appeal, would save the government money during a difficult budget crunch, passed the House with bi-partisan support, and had the votes to pass the Senate.
Right up until Republicans filibustered the legislation to death.
The Senate blocked legislation on Wednesday that would let the government negotiate Medicare drug prices. Democrats couldn’t muster the 60 votes needed to bring the bill up for a vote.
Under the Medicare drug benefit, private insurance plans negotiate with drug makers over the price of medicine for their customers. About 22 million seniors and the disabled are enrolled in such plans. Some lawmakers, mostly Democrats, contend the government could use its leverage to drive a better bargain than individual insurers, which would lower the cost of the program for taxpayers and seniors.
Republicans, following the White House’s lead, insist that drug prices have already “come down” and medication is already cheap enough, making the change unncessary. It’s a fairly odd argument to make, since taxpayers “could save as much as $190 billion over the next 10 years” if Medicare negotiated prices with drug makers. The Veterans Administration already negotiates with pharmaceutical companies, and it pays a lot less for medication.
Dems needed 60 votes to break the filibuster and give the legislation an up-or-down vote on the Senate floor. They came up four votes short. Dems lost — as did America’s seniors.
Harry Reid’s office struck exactly the right tone this afternoon.
“Democrats are working to allow prescription-drug price negotiations in Medicare so that it works as well as it can for seniors, people with disabilities, and taxpayers in Nevada and across America. In blocking this bill from even being debated, Senate Republicans have resorted to obstructionism in an effort to protect the drug industry at the expense of our seniors.
“This common-sense bill makes Medicare drug plans more accountable, improves information about which drugs are effective, and empowers the Secretary of Health and Human Services to use the bargaining power of Medicare’s 43 million beneficiaries. The Bush Administration has never been shy about expanding its executive authority. Yet when Congress tries to give the Administration more flexibility in negotiating drug prices, they are fighting it at every step.” (emphasis added)
Even if we put aside the merit of today’s bill — and, from where I sit, this legislation deserved an up-or-down vote — let’s not forget very recent history.
For the last few years, congressional Republicans would cry “obstructionism!” at the drop of a hat. Any effort to stand in the way of the president’s agenda in Congress was outrageous, offensive, and possibly even unconstitutional. What mattered, more than anything, was preserving the notion of majority rule. To filibuster was to be literally un-American.
And yet, over the last couple of months, Senate Republicans have filibustered a minimum-wage increase, filibustered a debate over a non-binding resolution on the war (twice), threatened to filibuster two appropriations bills, and filibustered a bill that would have led to lower prices on prescription medication. All from the party that whined about non-existent obstructionism for six years.
Funny how times change.