Chuck Grassley: “Because I was very joyful the Senator was coming out here. I saw him come out. I probably irritated him or something.…”

“Because I was very joyful the Senator was coming out here. I saw him come out. I probably irritated him or something. Here is what I was hoping we would be debating. Because the whole point of the last 2 days is: From President Clinton in June 1999, all the way through bills that the Senator's party introduced in 2003, we had the noninterference clause in it. I want you to know I felt very comfortable adopting a Democrat noninterference clause in my bill that is now law, and I was hoping the Senator was going to come out and give some justification why his party--mostly in his party; there were some on our side who would agree--why his party would change its mind after President Clinton thought that what we have been doing for 50 years was working so well in the Federal Employees Health Benefit Program that he wanted to do it. And he said you get lower drug prices by doing it that way. Several bills--I think I said seven bills--introduced by Democrats had the same principle in it. And now you don't like it. I don't understand why. I was hoping that was why the Senator came out to debate.”