Booker and the Big Pharma Dems Have No Excuse. This Vote Proves It. - Common Dreams
Just posting for further discussion. He makes some good points.
by Richard Eskow - Common Dreams
Snip>
Booker attempted to defend his vote in a statement to Jezebel’s Ellie Schechet in which he said:
“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.”
Nonsense. Canadian testing is as strong as its American equivalent, and most Canadian drugs are manufactured in the same locations as their US counterparts. And note the use of the word “foreign.” It seems designed to trigger xenophobic fears, and to hide the fact that drugs would only have been imported from one country: Canada.
What’s more, the Sanders/Klobuchar amendment was only a first step, so there was plenty of time to address any lingering concerns. Sen. Klobuchar has already co-sponsored a bill with Sen. John McCain called the “Safe and Affordable Drugs From Canada Act” that specifies how the process could work safely and efficiently.
But here’s the big question: If Booker and the other Democrats are so concerned about drug safety, why did they vote for the 21st Century Cures Act? Sold as a path to innovation, the bill was actually a massive giveaway to drug companies that wanted an end-run around safety regulations. It came with promises to spend more on public health needs, but those promises were designed to be easily broken.
More: http://www.commondreams.org/views/2017/01/17/booker-and-big-pharma-dems-have-no-excuse-vote-proves-it