David Loebsack: “Yes. Thank you, Mr. Collins. Thanks again for inviting me and Mr. Carter. I really do appreciate this. As always, Mr.…”

“Yes. Thank you, Mr. Collins. Thanks again for inviting me and Mr. Carter. I really do appreciate this. As always, Mr. Carter, I have learned something tonight from a pharmacist--I always do--and I really appreciate your comments. I just want to touch upon sort of the issue of the city square. That is so important for so many of our rural districts, as you folks know all too well. It is kind of hard to explain that to our more urban colleagues, but we have to do the best that we can. A pharmacy is so absolutely critical for the economy of a small community. Yes, it is absolutely critical and necessary to serve the population in the area, but it is important for the economy as well. We have a pharmacy--Mahaska Drug in Oskaloosa, Iowa. It is off the square a little bit, but it is such an important institution in its own right. Every Christmas, they have wonderful decorations, and they have things to sell for Christmas. I mean, people come to depend upon them to do the kinds of things they have done in providing not just the pharmacy services but other things as well. If they were to go under as a pharmacy, I am not at all sure that they would survive, and that community would suffer as a result. Folks' choices would be lessened. Their tradition would be hurt. It would be a disaster in many ways for so many of our local communities if those pharmacies were to close down. I, for one, am with you. I am not willing to accept that.…”