Patrick J. Tiberi: “I certainly wasn't there, but I will rely on press reports of what happened. But just today, one of our Democratic…”

“I certainly wasn't there, but I will rely on press reports of what happened. But just today, one of our Democratic colleagues who voted for the House bill and announced that he was not voting for the special rule that will deem the Senate bill law, said--and I am paraphrasing--that he is voting against this bill because it actually benefits health insurance companies and benefits the pharmaceutical industry. Now, the pharmaceutical industry actually has run ads all over the country urging a ``yes'' vote on this bill even though many in the White House have publicly attacked them and publicly attacked the health insurance reform industry. It is ironic, but there, apparently at the beginning of this process, was a special deal between the President and what was then the head of this trade association to protect them from having any sort of provisions in the bill that might allow for reimportation of prescription drugs from Canada. But in addition to that, on the Medicare side, I think my colleague from Ohio has already mentioned it, we are now seeing in this bill and more in the reconciliation bill that comes maybe Sunday, maybe Monday, a huge cut in Medicare.”