Jason Altmire

Mr. ALTMIRE

Mr. ALTMIRE. I accept the gentleman's apology.

Mr. ALTMIRE

Mr. ALTMIRE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this bill, which gives the HHS Secretary the ability to negotiate group discounts with drug companies. I have to admit that I am amazed that we are even having this debate. How could anyone possibly oppose negotiating group discounts to reduce the cost of prescription drugs for Medicare beneficiaries? We already do it in the VA, and it has worked. Why not allow Medicare beneficiaries the same savings? I can't believe anyone would oppose such a measure. I find it absurd that Congress would prevent a Federal agency from exploring ways to reduce costs for seniors and save the American taxpayers money. The truth is, Mr. Speaker, that this bill would lower the cost of prescription drugs for seniors and save money for the American taxpayers. I urge my colleagues to side with our Nation's Medicare beneficiaries and support this bill.

Mr. ALTMIRE

Mr. ALTMIRE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill. Having worked for a large academic medical center, I have seen the promise that embryonic stem cell research holds for Americans suffering from chronic disabilities such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, diabetes, and spinal cord injuries. We all know people with these disabilities and a vote for this bill is a vote for them. This bill says specifically that it only applies to embryos that would otherwise be discarded by the fertility clinics. So a vote for this bill is a pro-life vote. We must pass this bill for the millions of Americans that suffer from debilitating medical conditions today and the millions more that will tomorrow. This is something that is deeply personal to me. I am a pro-life Democrat. The reason I am supporting this bill is because this is a pro-life vote. There is nothing more important that we can do in this Congress than to support life. This is a pro-life vote. I urge my colleagues to pass this bill.