Political Quotes

“the Bush administration has very close ties to the prescription drug industry. In and of itself, that might not be a problem. Part of any administration's job is to support American industry, so long as it coincides with the best interests of the American people. That is, unfortunately, where the Bush administration runs into problems. The best interests of the American people should outweigh the interests of industry, but too often with this administration, the drug industry prevails at the expense of American consumers. Last year, for instance, prescription drug costs increased 17 percent, while the inflation rate was only 1.6 percent. Rising drug costs have fueled double-digit increases in health insurance premiums. Rises in drug costs are putting State budgets in the red. Rising drug costs are bankrupting seniors on fixed incomes. The Bush administration's response to this situation? They recently released a ``study'' arguing that American consumers must continue to pay the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs. If we do not, the study said, medical research and development will dry up. This study is available online at www.hhs.gov. It could just as easily, however, appear at www.phrma.org, the drug industry association's Web site. If Members had any questions about how closely aligned the administration is with the drug industry, this study makes it clear they are in lockstep.”