Steve Buyer: “I am just now reading this. Mr. Edwards, this is a very bad idea. If you support increasing the cost of medications to…”

“I am just now reading this. Mr. Edwards, this is a very bad idea. If you support increasing the cost of medications to veterans, then support this motion to instruct. If you support increasing the cost to veterans to obtain access to their drugs, support this motion to instruct. Over the years, those of us have guarded, guarded the Federal Supply Schedule. Now, why did Congress pass the Federal Supply Schedule? Because we said, you know, we have said to veterans out there, whom are disabled, we recognize that they are a precious part of our society, so we create the Federal Supply Schedule, which is really the government mandating a particular price, and then we jealously guard that. We jealously guard that. Why? Because everybody wants to gain access to the FSS, the Federal Supply Schedule. I have to come to the floor, as chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, appalled, appalled. I am just dumbfounded that we are, what, going to vote on a motion to instruct that we should accept what the Senate does? It seems that some people in this body are possessed in their fight against drug companies. Oh, my gosh, these drug companies are trying to seek all kinds of profits. I like to beat up on drug companies, until you get sick yourself, and then you want to gain access to all these types of drugs whether it is for Medicare pricing or Medicaid pricing, DOD. I created the retail TRICARE pharmacy program. It took me 3 years to do that.…”