"While transparency is a necessary first step, it is not sufficient."
"Even under Minnesota's progressive State law, the influence of industry on healthcare is rampant."
"It's counterproductive to be discussing reforming the healthcare system while allowing industry to maintain its hold on physicians' decisions."
"As lawmakers, I believe it is our job to remove barriers that create unnecessary costs and unethical influence in the healthcare system."
"I'm proud that my State of Minnesota was the first State to enact legislation, in 1993, requiring public reporting of drug-company marketing payments to doctors."
"Thank you, gentlemen."
"the synergy, Senator Franken, is huge."
"How long are they allowed to be on probation before they have to stop doing what they're doing?"
"It drives me crazy to hear all this talk about, 'We can't pay for healthcare reform.' We can pay for healthcare reform, but we've got to get on top of the overuse of expensive therapies in place of th..."
"But, the conclusion of all of you is that this practice, of industry-funded and specific industry-funded CME drives up the cost of medicine in this country?"
"Medicine is a lot better now than it was when we were kids. That doesn't mean that industry should fund CME."