I rise in support of the Hagel-Ensign Medicare Prescription Drug Discount and Security Act of 2002. I do so after a long day of debate, discussion, and votes on bills which attempt to reach out with affordable prescription drug coverage…

Madam President, soon we will vote on one of the most important matters facing the Nation--whether to provide within Medicare a prescription drug benefit. In order to strengthen Medicare, we must include affordable prescription drug…

the Biotechnology Organization represents over 1,000 biotechnology companies and their members all over the country and in every State. California, Massachusetts, and Maryland have the highest concentration of biocompanies in the United…

I rise to extend in many ways the comments made by the Senator from Utah. At the outset, I not only express my respect and admiration for his eloquent remarks, but also for the tremendous commitment he has shown on this particular issue…

in response to my distinguished colleague, this issue of having a general agreement that we would work out technical language, and then after 48 hours or 72 hours have the bill come to the floor without the opportunity, in a bipartisan…

In this environment where we do have a lower threshold for worrying about terrorism and worrying about what comes across our borders, he made the linkage, based on his experience dealing in the field of bioterrorism and the agriterrorism…

this morning the members of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, HELP, voted to support the nomination of Dr. Richard Carmona for the position of U.S. Surgeon General. While the Surgeon General has played a major…

clearly the United States does subsidize the world in terms of research and development. For better or worse, many other countries do have strict price controls. Those price controls ultimately translate pretty uniformly across the world…

If a manufacturer decided not to sell a medicine at a price the government allowed, then is it correct that the government would authorize a Canadian company to copy and sell the drug, even without the patent holder's permission, which, it…

Typically, in the United States an individual company will set prices in such a way to cover research. They will look at supply, demand, and the efficacy and efficiency with which the goal of cure or prevention is carried out. In order for…

I rise to address the issue introduced in the last hour and a half; that is, the issue of reimportation of drugs, especially as it affects the safety of the American people. They have been introduced by the proponents of this legislation…

In Canada, not the United States--this is what you essentially said--is it not correct that each company is denied the freedom to set prices for its own innovative medicines?

I rise to speak on the underlying bill and on the background for Medicare, Medicare modernization, and strengthening Medicare. First, I am delighted the discussion of health care security for our seniors has reached this stage of debate…

the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is truly the crown jewel of our national park system. With towering mountains, clear streams, and a diversity of wildlife, Tennessee is fortunate to have such a tremendous treasure in our own…

today I rise to introduce, with Senator Feingold and Senator Lugar, a bill that could have a far-reaching impact in preserving some of the most pristine tropical forest in the world. We seek to amend the Tropical Forest Conservation Act…

I rise for a few minutes to discuss in morning business an issue that involves essentially every American today, and that is an issue regarding the shortage of vaccines. Every day, thousands and thousands of parents take their children to…

our vulnerability to a bioterrorist attack was highlighted by the events that unfolded last October, when anthrax took the lives of innocent Americans and put thousands more in jeopardy. How we address our vulnerabilities and respond to…

In summary, we have worked together on how to increase funding above the level in the underlying bill in a way that we know in part will be a first step of what has to be done with leadership by the United States in this global endeavor. I…

I know of no more heartbreaking tragedy in the world today than the loss of so many young people to a virus that could be stopped if we simply provided more resources. The Helms-Frist amendment provides those resources, focusing on…

The amendment in the underlying bill, not your amendment or mine, as the Senator pointed out earlier, is $100 million. As I understand it, the amendment of the Senator would take that up to a total of $500 million. Our amendment will take…

We initially filed, as the Senator knows, $500 million, which is a sum that I think is appropriate in terms of addressing the issues, having them in the field very shortly.

Obviously, I cannot be in the Senate to introduce our amendment to add $500 million to the fight against HIV. On matters relating to global disease, your demonstrable leadership in the Senate and in Africa has made us more aware of the…

Senator Jesse Helms wrote me a letter yesterday regarding the Helms-Frist amendment. In that letter he said: You and I know the stunning facts: Nearly one million children are infected by HIV each year from their mothers during labor…

first, the Senator from Illinois has eloquently outlined the challenge, what I consider to be the greatest public health challenge clearly of this generation. I say public health challenge to us as Americans, but equally importantly to us…

we have learned a lot about terrorism since September of last year. We have learned that terrorists prey on vulnerability. Our vulnerability becomes their target. This bill reduces our vulnerability when it comes to this threat of…