Byron Dorgan: “there is nothing worse than losing an argument you are not having. We had four or five opponents talk about this…”

“there is nothing worse than losing an argument you are not having. We had four or five opponents talk about this legislation, and they were making arguments about a bill that doesn't exist. So they win. What is the argument? Listen carefully and you will hear the scare tactics, suggesting that somehow in an old garage with a dirt floor on a dusty street somewhere in Haiti, someone is going to produce a counterfeit drug and ship it to the U.S. We should not do that, they say. Well, I agree. But that has nothing to do with this legislation. They are winning an argument we are not having. This legislation establishes very strict controls and pertains only to prescription drugs that are produced in manufacturing plants approved by the FDA, with strict FDA oversight and proof of FDA approval on all imported medicines. Only licensed pharmacists and wholesalers can import the medicine for resale, and there is lab testing to screen out counterfeits. That is what this is about. Risk? This isn't about risk. One of our colleagues said what we need is more insurance coverage for prescription drugs. Well, I agree that we need to add a prescription drug benefit to Medicare to help our senior citizens pay for their medications. But we also need lower prices for prescription drugs.”