Executive Session

Floor Speech

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Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I would say that my friend and colleague, the gentleman from Texas, has accurately stated the situation, but let me add a few sentences about the bill that we are trying to couple with his effort. I totally support what he and Senator Blumenthal are trying to do. The end goal we all have in mind is to bring under control or at least restrain the increases in prescription drug prices.

The Senators from Texas and Connecticut have their approach. What Senator Grassley--a Republican from Iowa--and I have suggested with this approach is direct-to-consumer advertising. The pharmaceutical industry spends about $6 billion a year on ads on television. If you have not seen a drug ad on television, you clearly do not own a TV.

We want to make sure that each one of these ads contain, amid all the other information they give you, one other critical piece of information: the cost of the drug.

We think that will be at least an indication to the pharmaceutical industry that we are watching how much they are charging us. I think some people will be shocked when they see the actual cost of Humira and some other drugs. But that is it, a complementary approach. I hope we can do both. I think the American people want to see prescription drugs become more affordable.

Vote on Rudofsky Nomination

Is there a sufficient second?

There appears to be a sufficient second.

The clerk will call the roll.

The bill clerk called the roll.

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Mr. DURBIN. Harris), the Senator from Minnesota (Ms. Klobuchar), the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders), the Senator from Massachusetts (Ms. Warren), and the Senator from Oregon (Mr. Wyden) are necessarily absent.

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