Gerald Kleczka: “we are told by my colleague from Texas (Mr. Bonilla), the Republican who is opposing this motion, that he does not have…”

“we are told by my colleague from Texas (Mr. Bonilla), the Republican who is opposing this motion, that he does not have any comments on it, does not have anything to say about it. And I think that is kind of funny because we know full well when the Medicare bill comes up here, it is going to be Thursday or Friday at 5 o'clock in the morning when America is sleeping and all the seniors do not know what is happening. But why is this provision important about the drug importation? Because when this bill originally passed the House, it passed by one vote. And after the roll call was left open an hour with the Republican leadership beating their Members into submission, a deal was struck that, okay, we are going to pass this bill, if we get drug importation. And that is why the bill passed. Then it went to a conference committee, and there was not a Democrat from the House sitting in there negotiating. But you know what was in there? The drug companies were in there. And now we are going to see the final product a few days from now, and lo and behold, drug importation is only permitted if the Secretary of Health and Human Services says it is okay. But we know that he has already said it is not okay. They oppose it. The administration is in the pocket of the drug companies. And so your mothers and fathers and grandparents are going to be pay more for drugs. This bill is a bad bill.”