Political Quotes

“let's paint a picture, or set the stage, for this debate. Most of the research and development and manufacture of prescription drugs goes on here in the United States, in a highly constructive fashion. Drug companies, and their research and development staffs, here in this country experiment and work, literally for years, to develop new and effective prescription drugs. They are magnificently successful in that quest. And at least one of the reasons we are debating this issue today is that they are so successful that every year the share of our health care dollar that goes to prescription drugs increases because we now have conditions that can be treated by prescriptions that previously required hospitalization, if indeed they could be treated at all. The process of taking an idea through its basic and applied research, its testing and its development to licensing by the Food and Drug Administration is long and arduous and is aimed both at safety and effectiveness. During that period of time, these companies spend a great deal of money with no return. It is clear, both to the proponents and opponents of both the first- and second-degree amendments, that these companies are entitled to recoup those long and large costs of research and development. They are not only allowed, properly, to recoup the costs of those drugs that are actually brought to market, but the cost of all of the dead-end streets they run into with some of this research and development.”