Bart Stupak: “I will be brief. I sat for 12 years on the Energy and Commerce Committee, Oversight and Investigations, and I cannot…”

“I will be brief. I sat for 12 years on the Energy and Commerce Committee, Oversight and Investigations, and I cannot tell you how many times we have dealt with scientists who have come forward under a whistleblower status, or will call us up in cases like the Vioxx that I mentioned. I have an article I will include for the Record where a scientist said, ``FDA Called Journal to Block Vioxx Article.'' Thousands of people have died because a drug was put forth on the market because the scientist within the FDA was not allowed to publish the results of his study and was not allowed to speak at advisory panels. We also see that in a drug called Ketek. It is a drug we continue to do investigation on, and we will have further hearings next week on it, how fraudulent studies were put forth before the FDA. The scientists knew it, and the FDA suppressed the evidence and allowed the drug to be approved, to the detriment and the death of many Americans. And there is the drug Accutane which has many mysterious questions surrounding it, and people have not been allowed to testify at advisory panels which must approve a drug before it is put forth for public use. This is a safety issue, and 150 of 279 government scientists reported political interference with their work. My amendment protects the public right to know the results of taxpayer-funded research. What is wrong with that? This amendment is a good amendment. It will make the bill better.”