Stephanie Herseth Sandlin: “we have heard a lot of pretty words from the Republicans tonight, but every one on both sides of the aisle knows that…”

“we have heard a lot of pretty words from the Republicans tonight, but every one on both sides of the aisle knows that this bill is nothing but a sham, a charade, a shameless trick on America's seniors. America's seniors need help right now and yet the bill advanced by the Republicans does not even take effect until 2006. No coverage in 2003, no coverage in 2004, no coverage in 2005, and who knows what will happen in 2006. Our seniors cannot afford prescription drugs, and in the face of that challenge, the Republicans have presented a bill that requires seniors to pay out of their pockets over $4,000 of the first $5,000 spent on drugs. That is no benefit at all. Now, have the Republicans done anything to reduce the cost of drugs? No. The HMOs and the pharmaceutical companies will not let them do it. And this bill that is supposed to make drugs more affordable, there is no control over the prices charged by the pharmaceutical companies. Their greed is what got us in this situation in the first place. Do you think that philanthropy has suddenly invaded the boardroom of the pharmaceutical companies. Is that what you think? Amazingly, this bill prohibits, makes it illegal, against the law for the government to negotiate for lower prices with a pharmaceutical companies. They supply the product, they set the price, the seniors foot the bill, that is a sweet deal for them.”