Showdown vote nears on importing low-cost drugs

[December 10, 2009]  WASHINGTON (AP) -- A bipartisan group of lawmakers hopes to finally win a long struggle to ease curbs against importing low-cost prescription drugs but will have to overcome the Obama administration and the pharmaceutical industry to do so.

The Senate was resuming debate Thursday on President Barack Obama's drive to reshape the country's care system. The most crucial work was being done behind closed doors, where Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and his lieutenants were hunting support for a tentative deal among moderate and liberal Democrats to expand the government's role in providing care.

Such an agreement would move the Senate a step closer to approving its near trillion-dollar legislation. The bill would extend coverage to more than 30 million people, take modest steps to rein the growth of medical costs and end unpopular insurance company practices such as denying coverage to people who are already ill.

On the Senate floor, Sens. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., and John McCain, R-Ariz., are pushing an amendment to allow U.S. pharmacies and drug wholesalers to import Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs from Canada, Europe and a few other countries. People on both sides of the issue say it will be tough for supporters to get the 60 votes they'll need to win.

As a candidate, Obama supported allowing U.S. consumers to order lower-cost prescriptions from abroad. As president, he needs the backing of the drug industry to push his health care bill through Congress. While administration officials contend the president still agrees in principle, the FDA is saying it would be difficult to fully guarantee the safety of imports, lending weight to the industry's main argument.

That concern -- plus the billions of dollars drug companies would lose if Americans began buying large amounts of lower-priced pharmaceuticals from other nations -- has prevented the proposal from being implemented for about a decade.

"Does the pharmaceutical industry have a lot of clout? The answer is they sure do," Dorgan said Wednesday. He said when it comes to a vote, he hoped "the interest of the American consumers will have as much clout in this chamber."

Said a leading foe, Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., "We can't certify that we can keep these products safe."

In a potential compromise on the overall legislation, Democrats were trying to join hands on a plan that bows to moderates' objections and drops full-bore government-run health coverage, long a priority for Obama and many in the party.

Instead, a new proposal would have the same federal agency that provides health insurance for members of Congress -- the Office of Personnel Management -- offer policies from private providers to the public. In addition, Medicare, currently for those age 65 and up, would be offered to people who are at least 55 and wished to purchase coverage.

Divisions remained before Senate leaders could even think about reaching a compromise with the House, which approved its health overhaul bill last month.

Liberal Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., called the Medicare expansion "an unvarnished, complete victory." But Moveon.org, the liberal activist group, accused Reid of having "bargained away the heart of health care reform."

Reid and moderate Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., continued talking about restrictions conservatives want on how to prevent federal health care funds from being used to finance abortions.

[Associated Press; By ALAN FRAM]

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