Lynn C. Woolsey: “the end of September is approaching. The House has passed only 5 of 13 appropriations bills, and yet here we are taking…”

“the end of September is approaching. The House has passed only 5 of 13 appropriations bills, and yet here we are taking precious time to debate a meaningless resolution urging the Senate to pass a welfare reform bill. Do I want the Senate to pass a welfare reform bill? Of course I do. I want them to pass a good welfare reform bill, a bill that gives welfare recipients access to the education and training they need to get jobs that pay a livable wage; a welfare bill that ensures that there will be safe and affordable child care for children while their moms are away from home, and a welfare bill that holds States accountable for helping families move towards self-sufficiency. Rather than taking time here on the House Floor to debate the Senate's schedule, I urge the House leadership to attend to the important business of the House, such as the generic drug bill that has already passed the Senate. If the leadership here in the House really wants to do something to help families, passing the Greater Access to Affordable Pharmaceuticals Act, the GAAP Act, would do the trick. In the year 2001, for the fourth year in a row, Americans increased their spending on prescription drugs by more than 17 percent, and it is known that the longer a big drug company can keep a generic drug off the market, the more it costs consumers. The GAAP Act would get generic drugs to the market faster, helping American families save money.”