all of those things being cut directly to kansas, directly to kansans, directly to people that benefit under current programs. and this all to start a new entitlement program on a program in medicare and in raising taxes, neither of which we can afford. medicare is already scheduled to go bankrupt, as we well know. this is like writing a big fat check on an overdrawn bank account and say we'll come up with the money. it isn't going to work. it's going to take money from medicare. it's going to raise taxes on a weak economy. it's going to hurt overall. one of the issues that has come down to be one of the final pieces of this that the democrats have put forward is the issue of funding of abortion. we've had 30 years of agreement in this body and in this capital that the federal government wouldn't fund abortions other than cases of rape, incest and life of the mother. that was it. 30 years ago the hyde amendment was put in place that said we're not going to fund abortions. big debate in the country about abortion, but there's been no debate about funding of abortion. we said we're not g

it isn't a right of citizenship for a kansan that you have to buy auto insurance. but if you want to operate a car on our roads, you have to have car insurance. we're thrirg as an article of citizenship. novel and enormously expansive role of the federal government. the federal mangeds on the purchase of health insurance forces individuals to purchase a commodity -- health insurance -- not because they choose to participate in an economic or commercial activity such as what one would think would be covered under a commerce clause. but forces an individual to purchase a product simply because that person exists. this mandate i believe is an abuse of a power granted to this congress by the constitution. now, mr. president, last night i spent some time developing another thought that i think is an important oner for us to consider -- important one for us to consider. but it is one that this body has spent some time dealing with. that's the removal of the marriage penalty from our codes, tax code, welfare. we haven't gotten very far in doing that. but getting the marri

and given the opportunity to purchase canadian prescription drugs, only 206 to seven kansans took that chance. we should not corrupt the safety of our drug supply chain without safety assurances from this country's regulatory bodies. >> madam president, the minute that we are no not considering s the amendment i have offered that deals with drug reimportation. that is, the report nation of prescription drugs from other countries. and one might ask the question, why would we want to reimport drugs from other countries? well, fda approved drugs are made all over the world. and they are shipped all over the world. again, fda approved drugs approved by our food and drug administration, producing plants that are inspected by our food and drug administration, the difference is only difference is when they are shipped around the world the american consumer is charged the highest prices in the world by far. here is an example of the drug lipitor. there are plenty of examples and i will go to a number of them today, but this is an example of lipitor. for an equivalent amount of lipitor, 20-mill

safety of importation and given the opportunity to purchase canadian prescription drugs only 267 kansans took that chance. we should not corrupt the safety of our drug supply chain without safety assurances from this country's regulatory audience. >> madam president, the amendments that we are now considering as an amendment that i have offered that deals with drug reimportation, that is the reimportation of prescription drugs from other countries. and one might ask the question why would we want to be import drugs from other countries? well, fda approved drugs are made all over the world. and they are shipped all over the world. again, fda approved drugs approved by our food and drug administration reduced in plants that are inspected by our food and drug administration. the difference is when they are shipped around the world the american consumer is charged the highest prices in the world by far. here is an example of the drug lipitor. there are plenty of examples and ogletree number of them today. but this is an example of lipitor. for an equivalent amount of lipitor, 20-milligram ta

creating jobs and restoring fiscal responsibility should be the priority in washington yet all kansans see coming out of washington are expensive plans to grow government. that's the wrong direction. instead this body should end bailouts, protect consumers without restricting credit with smarter, leaner regulation, enact meaningful reform to prevent future collapse and ensure that any repaid or remaining tarp funds be used to reduce the deficit. i strongly urge my colleagues to oppose this underlying bill and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. the gentleman from florida. mr. hastings: thank you very much, mr. speaker. before yielding to the distinguished gentleman from california i'd like to yield to my friend and ask him a question , my friend from texas. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas. mr. hastings: it appears that my friend and i are like ships passing in the night and both of us have been here during the period that democrats have been in the majority, the minority and the majority again. when your party gai

very proud to come and join in this debate on an issue i do think is absolutely critical to all our kansans and all americans. i'd like to compliment chairman baucus because as we talk about this issue in term thes of health care reform, clearly our delivery system in health care is broken. we've got the best hospitals and doctors, research and technologies in the world, and yet our delivery system is broken. and for the last 24 months the senate finance committee has held hearings and round tables, summits, all kinds of different deliberative efforts working in partnership with the associations that represent our providers, advocacy groups on behalf of patients, anybody that would come to the table to talk about how is it that we reform this system and make it better for the constituents that we serve, the patients that are the ultimate recipient of the health care system in this country? and i just applaud him and the work that we've done there. so to anyone that says we're just jumping in here and moving too fast or, you know, i have tremendous respect for the minority leader from kentuc

as kansans sit at the kitchen table, trying to balance their checkbooks this congress has been borrowing and spending money like there's no tomorrow. the latest x. is a 2,500 page omnibus spending bill approved by the house of representatives yesterday this $447 billion package does not require any of the tough choices americans are having to make every day in this difficult economy. unfortunately for the next generation of americans, there will be severe consequences from our government's failure to control spend and the resulting huge increases in our national debt. the government will try to raise our national debt limit by an additional $1.8 trillion. the federal government is mortgaging our nation's future for the well-being -- for its well being to countries like chi neasm result of this is evident. president obama and speaker pelosi show bold leadership and get back on track by cutting spending and reducing the country's debt not by omnibus spending bills and debt ceiling increases. the speaker pro tempore: are there further one-minute requests? the chair lays before the house fol

and given the opportunity to purchase canadian prescription drugs, only 267 kansans took that chance. we should not disrupt the supply chain without safety assurances from this country's regulatory bodies. i yield the floor. the presiding officer: the senator's time has expired. the senator from illinois is recognized. mr. durbin: mr. president, this is the tenth day in the debate on health care reform. i believe it's one of the most important issues we have ever debated certainly in my time on the floor of the united states senate. there have been a variety of amendments offered, and there's been a lot of work going on off the senate floor. before we could reach this point of starting this debate, committees held hearings that went on for weeks and months. they started with a base bill and entertained hundreds of amendments. the "help" committee, health, education, labor, and pensions committee, as well as the finance committee, devoted so much time to this. the first time i can recall the chairman of the senate finance committee, max baucus, coming to see me personally on this was o