Republicans “On Notice” meet two special criteria. First, they’ve amassed appallingly anti-woman, anti-family records. And second, there is major Democratic female talent waiting in the wings. Help us get the word out that the EMILY’s List community is ready to send these guys packing!
Thanks so much,
Health Care for America Now released new research today that shows big pharmaceutical companies are making billions of dollars by systematically overcharging taxpayers and seniors for drugs that they sell for a fraction of the cost in other countries. Since we released our research hours ago, the story has been reported by Politico, The Wall Street Journal MarketWatch and Think Progress. We’re expecting to see a lot more coverage, but we wanted to share our research directly with you first. Check out the blogpost by HCAN Executive Director Ethan Rome, which was published by Huffington Post and Daily Kos today.
By Ethan Rome, Executive Director, Health Care for America Now
Here’s an outrage that must be changed: Big Pharma has been systematically price-gouging the Medicare program for seniors and people with disabilities — and raking in billions in excessive profits. The 11 largest global drug companies made an astonishing $711 billion in profits over the 10 years ending in 2012, and they got a turbo-charged boost when the Medicare Part D prescription drug program started in 2006, according to an analysis of corporate filings by Health Care for America Now (HCAN). ??The drug companies hold the power to charge America’s consumers whatever they want. Worse, Medicare — the nation’s largest purchaser of drugs — is prohibited by law from seeking better prices. The result of this shortsighted policy is dramatic. In 2006, the first year of Medicare’s prescription drug program, the combined profits of the largest drug companies soared 34 percent to $76.3 billion. And unlike other industries, such as Big Oil, drug companies get something even better than a tax subsidy — they get a government program.
There is nothing wrong with a company making profits — that’s what they’re supposed to do. But the drug industry’s profits are excessive as a result of overcharging American consumers and taxpayers. We pay significantly more than any other country for the exact same drugs. Per capita drug spending in the U.S. is about 40 percent higher than in Canada, 75 percent greater than in Japan and nearly triple the amount spent in Denmark.
HCAN reviewed the last decade’s financial filings from the 11 prescription drug giants: Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Novartis, Merck, Roche, Sanofi-Aventis, GlaxoSmithKline, Abbott Laboratories, AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly and Bristol-Myers Squibb. Even as millions of Americans struggle to afford their medicines and as Republicans in Congress threaten to cut seniors’ benefits, these corporate behemoths have extracted $711.4 billion in profits for Wall Street investors. The drug companies’ annual profits reached $83.9 billion in 2012, a 62 percent jump from 2003.
There are two reasons why it matters that the drug industry is booking eye-popping profits. First, American consumers and taxpayers are footing the bill, and second, we could do something about it. ??It’s against federal law for Medicare, the nation’s biggest health plan, to use its unparalleled market power to reduce the cost of prescription drugs. This makes no sense. If the policy were changed, taxpayers and consumers would save huge amounts of money.
Simply empowering Medicare to get the same bulk purchasing discounts on prescription drugs as state Medicaid programs would save the federal government $137 billion over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Eliminating price-gouging on that scale would go a long way toward addressing the fiscal challenges that are constantly under discussion in Washington — without harming seniors and middle-class families. This proposal has been supported by President Obama and is in the House Democrats’ budget plan. It is reportedly in the president’s 2014 budget plan as well.
Our politicians give all kinds of tax breaks and subsidies to big corporations that don’t need them: Big Oil. Wall Street. Companies that ship our jobs overseas. Every gift to a special interest, including allowing Big Pharma to overcharge Medicare, is an expenditure of scarce tax dollars. That’s called wasteful spending.
When it comes to addressing our country’s fiscal challenges, we shouldn’t even talk about cutting Medicare or any services people depend on, as the Republicans have proposed. Instead, we should eliminate indefensible special-interest tax breaks and subsidies for big corporations that don’t need them.
the House: Hydropower & limiting NLRB ~~~~~~~ the Senate: S.649,Safe Communities
The Senate stands in adjournment until 10:00am on Tuesday, April 9, 2013.
Following any Leader remarks, it is expected Senator Reid will renew the motion to proceed to Legislative Calendar #32, S.649, the Safe Communities, Safe Schools Act of 2013 . The time until 11:30am will be equally divided and controlled between the two Leaders or their designees with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each with the Majority controlling the first 30 minutes and the Republicans controlling the second 30 minutes.
Upon use or yielding back of time (at approximately 12:00pm), there will be a roll call vote on confirmation of the Shwartz nomination.
The Senate will recess from 12:30pm until 2:15pm to allow for the weekly caucus meetings.
This morning Senator Reid renewed the motion to proceed to S.649, Safe Communities, Safe Schools Act of 2013. The time until 11:30am is equally divided between the two Leaders or their designees. The Majority controls the first 30 minutes and the Republicans control the next 30 minutes.
At 11:30am, the Senate will proceed to Executive Session to consider Executive Calendar #14, the nomination of Patty Shwartz, of New Jersey, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit. There will be up to 30 minutes of debate equally divided and controlled between Senators Leahy and Grassley or their designees.
If all time is used at 12:00pm, the Senate will proceed to a roll call vote on confirmation of the Shwartz nomination.
As provided for under the previous order, the Senate will recess from 12:30 until 2:15pm for the weekly caucus meetings. Following the recess, the Senate will resume consideration of the motion to proceed to Safe Communities, Safe Schools Act.
12:00pm The Senate began a roll call vote on confirmation of Executive Calendar #14, the nomination of Patty Shwartz, of New Jersey, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit;
Confirmed: 64-34
WRAP UP
ROLL CALL VOTE
1) Confirmation of Executive Calendar #14, the nomination of Patty Shwartz, of New Jersey, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit; Confirmed: 64-34
LEGISLATIVE ITEMS
Discharged the Foreign Relations committee and adopted S.Res.77, expressing the sense of Congress relating to the commemoration of the 180th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the United States and the Kingdom of Thailand.
Adopted S.Res.94, recognizing the 50th anniversary of the sinking of U.S.S. Thresher.
Began the Rule 14 process of S.691, a bill to regulate large capacity ammunition feeding devices.
Began the Rule 14 process of S.680, a bill to rescind the amounts appropriated for FY2013 for the Department of Defense MEADS and for other purposes.
No EXECUTIVE ITEMS
Senator Reid filed cloture on the motion to proceed to the consideration of S.649, Safe Communities, Safe Schools Act of
2013. The cloture vote on the motion to proceed will occur one hour after the
Senate convenes on Thursday, April 11.
POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS ON APPROVAL OF THE JOURNAL – The Chair announced that he had examined the Journal of the last day’s proceedings and had approved it. Mrs. Capps demanded that the question be put on agreeing to the Speaker’s approval of the Journal and by voice vote, the Chair announced that the ayes had prevailed. Mrs. Capps demanded the yeas and nays and the Chair postponed further proceedings on the question of agreeing to the Speaker’s approval of the Journal until later in the legislative day.
ONE MINUTE SPEECHES – The House proceeded with one minute speeches.
2:19:00 P.M.
The House received a message from the Clerk. Pursuant to the permission granted in Clause 2(h) of Rule II of the Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives, the Clerk notified the House that she had received the following message from the Secretary of the Senate of April 9, 2013 at 9:43: That the Senate agreed to S. Con. Res. 10.
2:20:17 P.M.
The Speaker announced that the House do now recess. The next meeting is scheduled for 5:00 P.M. today.
:03:05 P.M.
The House convened, returning from a recess continuing the legislative day of April 9.
5:03:16 P.M.
The Speaker announced that votes on suspensions, if ordered, will be postponed until a time to be announced.
5:03:30 P.M.
H.R. 254
Mr. Wittman moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill. H.R. 254 — “To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to facilitate the development of hydroelectric power on the Diamond Fork System of the Central Utah Project.”
5:03:53 P.M.
H.R. 254
Considered under suspension of the rules.
5:03:55 P.M.
H.R. 254
DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 254.
5:10:27 P.M.
H.R. 254
At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
5:11:01 P.M.
H.R. 1033
Mr. Wittman moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill. H.R. 1033 — “To authorize the acquisition and protection of nationally significant battlefields and associated sites of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 under the American Battlefield Protection Program.”
5:11:04 P.M.
H.R. 1033
Considered under suspension of the rules.
5:11:05 P.M.
H.R. 1033
DEBATE – The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 1033.
5:25:10 P.M.
H.R. 1033
At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
5:25:47 P.M.The Speaker announced that the House do now recess. The next meeting is scheduled for approximately 6:30 p.m. today.
6:30:00 P.M.
The House convened, returning from a recess continuing the legislative day of April 9.
6:30:26 P.M.
Mr. Bishop (UT) filed a report from the Committee on Rules on H. Res. 140.
6:31:57 P.M.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS – The Chair announced that the unfinished business was the question of adoption of motions to suspend the rules, which had been debated earlier, and on agreeing to the Speaker’s approval of the Journal, which had been postponed from earlier in the day.
6:32:23 P.M.
H.R. 254
Considered as unfinished business. H.R. 254 — “To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to facilitate the development of hydroelectric power on the Diamond Fork System of the Central Utah Project.”
6:56:31 P.M.
H.R. 254
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 400 – 4 (Roll no. 90).
6:56:32 P.M.
H.R. 254
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
6:58:10 P.M.
H. Res. 141
Considered as privileged matter. H. Res. 141 — “Expressing the condolences of the House of Representatives on the death of the Baroness Margaret Thatcher, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.”
6:59:04 P.M.
H. Res. 141
On agreeing to the resolution Agreed to without objection.
6:59:11 P.M.
H. Res. 141
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
6:59:17 P.M.
FIVE-MINUTE VOTING – Without objection, the Chair announced that five-minute voting would resume.
7:00:52 P.M.
H.R. 1033
Considered as unfinished business. H.R. 1033 — “To authorize the acquisition and protection of nationally significant battlefields and associated sites of the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 under the American Battlefield Protection Program.”
7:07:20 P.M.
H.R. 1033
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 283 – 122 (Roll no. 91).
7:07:21 P.M.
H.R. 1033
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
7:07:47 P.M.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS – The Chair announced that the unfinished business was the vote on agreeing to the Speaker’s approval of the Journal.
7:15:10 P.M.
On approving the Journal Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: 294 – 104, 1 Present (Roll no. 92).
7:17:15 P.M.
ONE MINUTE SPEECHES – The House proceeded with further one minute speeches.
7:40:54 P.M.
SPECIAL ORDER SPEECHES – The House has concluded all anticipated legislative business and has proceeded to Special Order speeches.
8:30:01 P.M.
Ms. Jackson Lee moved that the House do now adjourn.
8:30:05 P.M.
On motion to adjourn Agreed to by voice vote.
8:30:10 P.M.
The House adjourned pursuant to H. Res. 141. The next meeting is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on April 10, 2013.
Every day, President Obama reads ten letters from Americans across the country. In this from-the-archives video, “Letters to the President,” we take you behind the scenes to see the process of how those ten letters make it to the President’s desk — from among the thousands of letters, faxes, and e-mails that get sent to the White House each day.
On March 15, President Obama traveled to the Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois to discuss the Energy Security Trust that he announced in the 2013 State of The Union Address. The Trust, which builds on a proposal supported by a broad bipartisan coalition including retired military leaders, would provide a reliable stream of funding for critical, breakthrough research focused on developing cost-effective transportation alternatives to get our cars and trucks off oil.
The President’s proposal sets aside $2 billion over 10 years and would support research into a wide range of cost-effective technologies – like advanced vehicles that run on electricity, homegrown biofuels, fuel cells, and domestically produced natural gas. Paired with other Administration policies, including our historic new fuel economy standards that are already saving families and businesses money at the pump, the Trust would help solidify America’s position as a world leader in advanced transportation technology.
This represents just a snapshot of the Administration’s Energy Security Trust proposal. For more information, read the White House blog on the Energy Security Trust. Also be sure to check out the President’s recent weekly address on this proposal.
News & Events
New EPA Report: Initial Data Shows Significant Gains in Fuel Economy for 2012
The EPA released its annual report that tracks the fuel economy of vehicles sold in the United States, underscoring the major increases made in the efficiency of the vehicles Americans drive, reducing oil consumption and cutting carbon emissions. According to the report, EPA estimates that between 2007 and 2012 fuel economy values increased by 16 percent while carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have decreased by 13 percent, and in 2012 alone the report indicates a significant one year increase of 1.4 miles per gallon (mpg) for cars and trucks. In addition, compared to five years ago, consumers have twice as many hybrid and diesel vehicle choices, a growing set of plug-in electric vehicle options, and a six-fold increase in the number of car models with combined city/highway fuel economy of 30 mpg or higher.
President Obama Nominates New Energy Department and EPA Heads
President Obama on March 4 nominated Ernest Moniz to replace Steven Chu as Secretary of Energy, and Gina McCarthy to take over U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) leadership from Lisa Jackson. Of his new Energy Secretary nominee, Obama said “Ernie knows that we can produce more energy and grow our economy while still taking care of our air, our water and our climate.” In announcing McCarthy’s nomination, President Obama called her a top environmental official in Massachusetts and Connecticut, where she helped design programs to expand energy efficiency and promote renewable energy. She previously served as the assistant administrator of the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation.
Interior Department Approves Three Renewable Energy Projects in California and Nevada
As part of President Obama’s all-of-the-above energy strategy to continue to expand domestic energy production, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced on March 13 the approval of three major renewable energy projects that, when built, are expected to deliver 1,100 megawatts to the grid – enough to power more than 340,000 homes – and help support more than 1,000 jobs through construction and operations. Since 2009, Interior has approved 37 renewable energy projects, including 20 utility-scale solar facilities, 8 wind farms and 9 geothermal plants, with associated transmission corridors and infrastructure to connect to established power grids. When built, these projects will provide more than 11,500 megawatts of power, or enough electricity to power more than 3.8 million homes, and support an estimated 13,500 construction and operations jobs.
Obama Administration Holds 39-Million-Acre Oil and Gas Lease Sale in Central Gulf of Mexico
Taking the latest step in President Obama’s efforts to continue to expand safe and responsible domestic energy production, the Department of the Interior recently held a nearly 39 million-acre oil and gas lease sale for the Central Gulf of Mexico. As part of the Obama Administration’s all-of-the-above energy strategy, domestic oil and gas production has grown each year the President has been in office, with domestic oil production currently higher than any time in two decades and natural gas production at its highest level ever.
Energy Department Partnerships Speed Advanced Vehicle Technologies
As part of the Obama Administration’s commitment to speeding the transition to more sustainable energy sources that will help drive economic growth, the Energy Department on March 5 announced 16 major U.S. employers and two stakeholder groups have joined the Workplace Charging Challenge to give more American workers access to new transportation options, while another three U.S. corporations have joined the National Clean Fleets Partnership. These steps support President Obama’s goal to drive new technology that offers more vehicle fueling options to American consumers, as highlighted in his State of the Union address. The Workplace Charging Challenge is a collaborative effort to increase the number of U.S. employers offering workplace charging by tenfold in the next five years. The National Clean Fleets Partnership aims to speed the deployment of clean, energy-efficient vehicles and the infrastructure to support their widespread use.
There are two reasons why it matters that the drug industry is booking eye-popping profits. First, American consumers and taxpayers are footing the bill, and second, we could do something about it. ??It’s against federal law for Medicare, the nation’s biggest health plan, to use its unparalleled market power to reduce the cost of prescription drugs. This makes no sense. If the policy were changed, taxpayers and consumers would save huge amounts of money.
Be a Seed for Change 
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