Byron Dorgan: “I had put a hold on his nomination. I want to explain the background of that hold and what happened last evening that…”

“I had put a hold on his nomination. I want to explain the background of that hold and what happened last evening that allowed me to withdraw my hold on the nomination and allow his confirmation to occur. First of all, Dr. McClellan is the head of the Food and Drug Administration, and he has been nominated by the President to run the organization that administers the Medicare and Medicaid Programs. It is a very important position. It is an important position that he held as head of the FDA, and the new position is also very important. We had asked Dr. McClellan for some months to come to the Senate Commerce Committee and testify. The reason we did that is we have a very significant debate in this country, and especially in this Congress, about the subject of the cost of prescription drugs. We have had an abiding, lengthy debate here in the Congress about the prospect of importing prescription drugs: Medicines from Canada, for example, are the same prescription drugs sold in this country--same pill, put in the same bottle, made by the same company. The only difference is that they are sold for a substantial discount in Canada compared to the price U.S.”