i know what the deal was phrma -- they said they would oppose drug impour tation from -- importationfrom canada. they said it would not allow competition. i don't know what the deal was cut that bought them, but i know they are unsavory, and i know people like the lady that was just referred to, like bertha milliard, they are not too interested -- >> mr. senator -- >> i don't know what the deal was. >> i'm going to tell the senator the deal. >> the senator from arizona has the floor. >> i don't know what the deal was, but we'll wind out what the deal was. >> if the senator would yield i would say what the deal was. >> i can't walk through the halls here without -- >> would you like me to answer the question? >> i'd like to finish my answer to you, if i may. that is, i don't know what the deal was that was cut with them, but we'll find out what the deal was that was cut with them, and i know bertha milliard was not there when the deal was cut. >> will the senator yield for one more question? i'll yield for one more. >> does the senator know that the so-called deal was that where as me

but there was negotiations with the special interests, with phrma, the same ones that the president said he was going to see who the american people were on the side of. clearly this administration and that side of the aisle were on the side of phrma because they got a sweetheart deal of about about $100 billion that would have been saved if we had been able to reimport prescription drugs. the aarp has a sweetheart deal. there is a provision in this deal for them, plans that medigap insurance sold by aarp are exempt from tax on insurance companies. the a.m.a. signed up because of the promise of a doc fix. there was throughout this. we should have set up a tent out in front and put persian rugs out in front of it. that's the way this has been conducted. so of course then the special interests were taken care of. then we had to take care of special senators. and one deal is called we've got new words in our lexicon now -- the louisiana purchase, the cornhusker kickback. i got a new name. the florida flimflam. the one that gives the medicare advantage members in florida around the country t

but there was negotiations with the special interests, with phrma, the same ones that the president saidng to see who the american people were on the side of. clearly this administration and that side of the aisle were on the side of phrma because they got a sweetheart deal of about about $100 billion that would have been saved if we had been able to reimport prescription drugs. the aarp has a sweetheart deal. there is a provision in this deal for them, plans that medigap insurance sold by aarp are exempt from tax on insurance companies. the a.m.a. signed up because of the promise of a doc fix. there was throughout this. we should have set up a tent out in front and put persian rugs out in front of it. that's the way this has been conducted. so of course then the special interests were taken care of. then we had to take care of special senators. and one deal is called we've got new words in our lexicon now -- the louisiana purchase, the cornhusker kickback. i got a new name. the florida flimflam. the one that gives the medicare advantage members in florida around the country the benefit,

sessions: just a question about this deal with big phrma.i made reference to and quote interested a few days ago a scathing editorial by robert reich who served as secretary of labor in the clinton administration who is a leading intellectual democrat who called this in the most scathing terms -- criticized these deals in the most scathing terms. used words that i was reluctant to use on the floor because as my colleagues said unseemly or whatever. i'd say it goes beyond that. he used the word extortion. i don't think he used that word lightly. and i think it's the kind of process -- and the senator has been here and many of you that are on the floor now have been here for a long time, but it seems to me this is pushing the envelope on deal making to the point that it really is a dangerous step, and it goes beyond anything that we should countenance in my view. mr. mccain: i agree with the senator. again, i'd like to ask dr. barrasso, because he has treated patients that are under medicare advantage, but before i do, i just want to say again

but there was negotiations with the special interests, with phrma, the same ones that the president saidg to see who the american people were on the side of. clearly this administration and that side of the aisle were on the side of phrma because they got a sweetheart deal of about about $100 billion that would have been saved if we had been able to reimport prescription drugs. the aarp has a sweetheart deal. there is a provision in this deal for them, plans that medigap insurance sold by aarp are exempt from tax on insurance companies. the a.m.a. signed up because of the promise of a doc fix. there was throughout this. we should have set up a tent out in front and put persian rugs out in front of it. that's the way this has been conducted. so of course then the special interests were taken care of. then we had to take care of special senators. and one deal is called we've got new words in our lexicon now -- the louisiana purchase, the cornhusker kickback. i got a new name. the florida flimflam. the one that gives the medicare advantage members in florida around the country the benefit,

forward -- "shortly after striking down agreement, the trade group and the manufacturers of america, phrma, also set aside $150 million for advertising to support health care legislation." "an industry official involved in discussions" -- i'm quoting here of the "new york times" article by duff wilson -- "industry officials involved in the discussion said the group and its advertising money would now be aimed specifically at the approach being pushed by mr. baucus, democrat of montana, and the chairman of the senate finance committee." is that the way this thing is being done? i hope not. and i intend to look at that in more detail, but i just want to say right now and today i'm not happy about it. i don't like the looks of it. it doesn't smell good to me. it does not strike me as something that's legitimate, and i think maybe we need to find out more about it, frankly. mr. president, i have -- i would just want to share with my colleagues a fundamental concern i have with this health care bill. it made a great deal of promises. it alleged it would do a lot of very great sounding things, a

phrma, 8% increase in drug prices in the last year. again, i refer to "the new york times" -- how much time remains. senator, wrap it up. >> the senator from arizona over the last couple days stated this case very well, and it will continue to be stated. they are cutting medicare to fund a new government program. they are taxing the american people through drugs and devices. their own insurance policy needs more money so that government can have a larger hand in health care, and you know what? at the end of the day the american people realize now they are going to pay more and the quality of their health care is going to go down. no more obvious than the current amendment on slashing the reimbursements to nursing homes or to hospice or any other program under medicare. i thank the gentleman. >> we will do it a lot between now and the time that the vote is forced. the american people are on our side. >> the gentleman's time has expired. >> senator from arkansas. >> well, thank you, mr. president. i am very proud to come and join in this

got to give phrma credit. they have gone to great lengths to scare the public. but the reality is that drug importation has occurred within the european union countries called parallel trade for the last 25 years. the pharmaceutical industry should know that drug importation is safe. the industry has imported drugs and sold them in the united states for decades. one-quarter of the drugs consumed by americans today are made in foreign manufacturing plants. the dorgan amendment includes a number of protections to ensure that imported drugs are safe and certainly safer than the completely unregulated system that we have today. mr. president, i don't need to remind my colleagues about the deficit hole that we're in. federal spending is one of the top concerns i hear about from my constituents. they want to know what we're doing to get our deficit under control, and that's why i introduced legislation that -- e control spending now act -- that proposes concrete ways to bring down runaway government spending. one proposal was senator according tdorgan's drug importn l