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Sununu Votes Against Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act
CONCORD - This morning, for the fourth time in just two years, Senator John E. Sununu voted against a bipartisan proposal that would have made it easier for New Hampshire seniors to afford their prescription drugs.
Senate Bill 3, or the Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act, would have allowed Medicare to negotiate with big pharmaceutical companies to get lower drug prices for millions of Americans. Sununu had already voted against similar legislation three previous times. [Vote 132, 4/18/07; Vote 50, 3/15/06; Vote 60, 3/17/05; Vote 302, 11/3/05]
“Once again, Sen. Sununu has left New Hampshire Seniors to fend for themselves,” said New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley. “For some reason, Sen. Sununu is more concerned with the priorities of the big pharmaceutical corporations than Granite Staters. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that he has taken $109,000 from the big drug industry.”
Over the course of his congressional career, Sen. Sununu has taken at least $109,248 from the pharmaceutical corporations. [Center for Responsive Politics]
A 2005 report found that the drug prices offered by the Medicare prescription drug plan are over 80% higher than prices that could be achieved if the federal government could negotiate with drug companies for lower prices. Another study showed that the median price difference between 20 common drugs from the Department of Veterans Affairs, which currently negotiates with manufacturers to get lower prices, and top Medicare Part D insurers, who can’t legally negotiate, is an “astounding” 58%. [House Committee on Government Reform, Minority Staff, November 2005; New York Times, 4/12/07; Families USA, April 2007]
A national poll conducted earlier this year found that 87% of Americans support allowing Medicare to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices. Of those, 65% strongly support the proposal. In addition, 61% said that allowing Medicare to negotiate should be a top or high priority for Congress. [AARP, 2/12/07]