Frank Pallone: “The House passed a deeply flawed Medicare prescription drug bill by a vote of 220 to 215 at 6 a.m. Votes in the House…”

“The House passed a deeply flawed Medicare prescription drug bill by a vote of 220 to 215 at 6 a.m. Votes in the House usually last 15 minutes plus a traditional 2-minute cushion. But because the leadership did not have the votes to prevail, this vote was held open for a record 2 hours and 51 minutes as bribes and special deals were offered to convince Members to vote yes. I was targeted by lobbyists and the congressional leadership to change my vote. Other Members and groups made offers of extensive financial campaign support and endorsements for my son Brad who is running for my seat. They also made threats about working against Brad if I voted no.”