Thomas Daschle: “Recently, the Majority Leader pulled the class-action reform legislation from consideration after the Senate failed to…”

“Recently, the Majority Leader pulled the class-action reform legislation from consideration after the Senate failed to invoke cloture on the bill. We all know he would have had the votes for cloture if he had not played games with the amendment process. Instead, he proposed allowing Democrats only five non-germane amendments and insisted that he choose which amendments could be offered. He insisted that under no circumstances could we offer a bipartisan bill to legalize the safe importation of lower-priced prescription drugs from Canada and other industrialized countries. The Majority Leader no doubt feared that the re-importation legislation would pass as a result of the broad bipartisan support it enjoys. But the drug industry didn't want lower prices, and we were prevented from offering our amendment. The re-importation bill is just one of many health measures currently pending in Congress that would help Americans who are struggling with the high costs of care, drugs, and insurance. These bills have broad support--some even have Republican lead sponsors--and we should be considering them here in the Senate. In fact, it is our obligation to do so. Yet most of these bills continue to languish in committee while the majority plays procedural games with the amendment process and spends countless hours on bills and measures that the Majority Leader knows do not have the votes to pass.”