Senate Republicans to blame for feet-dragging
In an Aug. 6 editorial, the Herald-Standard opined that “lawmakers have shirked their responsibility and have adopted a wait-and-see approach” to solving the prescription drug problem for seniors. The piece further generalizes that the reason for the state Senate stall is that “this is a national problem, one that the president and Congress ought to solve.” Your editorial correctly captures the Senate Republican approach to the problem. It is, however, way off base in its characterization of how state Senate Democrats and many members of the House – from both parties – would rather address the issue. It is through the efforts of Senate Democrats that the issue has gained prominence and has been a topic of heated discussion in the state Capitol.
For many years, Senate Democrats have lobbied heavily for approaching the problem without deploying new taxes. We have tried many times and have utilized many means to try to force action. Recently, our focus has been on using the combined purchasing power of state prescription drug benefit programs to leverage greater drug manufacturer rebates. Our plan, called FAIRx, would then allocate the rebates back into the state Pharmaceutical Contract for the Elderly (PACE) program. These new funds would help make more than 80,000 seniors eligible for low cost drugs through the program and permit those Medicare-eligible seniors who do not meet PACE income requirements to receive at-the-counter discounts on their drug purchases.
Despite our efforts to pass this bill and speed relief, we have been stymied at every turn by Senate Republicans bent on maintaining the status quo. However, our spirits were buoyed this year following the election of Gov. Ed Rendell, who vowed to help us come to the aid of seniors.
In late May, Gov. Rendell unveiled a bipartisan PACE and PACENET expansion plan that would provide low-cost drug benefits for 100,000 seniors. His idea was adopted quickly by the state House of Representatives and was poised for a Senate vote prior to summer recess. The measure was to hopefully include a Senate Democratic amendment that would have changed the effective date of the new law to permit quickened benefits for seniors – even if Congress acted to adopt a new drug benefit for Medicare.
Yet, it is now mid-August and there has been no commitment to a floor vote. Why? Apparently, U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum asked his Republican counterparts in the state Senate to delay state action until after summer recess pending congressional consideration of a different plan. To compound matters, there has been no discernable movement by Congress to resolve differences between conflicting U.S. House and Senate versions of the Medicare prescription drug benefit.
While there is some talk that the state legislation may move from committee, there are no assurances that the full Senate will ultimately consider the bill. In the near past, Senate Republicans have used the strategic shell game of moving pro-consumer legislation out of committee only to kill it later procedurally as a way of relieving public pressure.
These delays are unconscionable, especially since new federal money now included in the U. S. Senate drug plan would likely provide a windfall for Pennsylvania and extend low-cost drug benefits to thousands of additional older Pennsylvanians. The state and federal action would work jointly and provide real relief for struggling seniors.
The state Senate Republicans – who have stalled one measure after another while seeking short-term political victories – must be held accountable for their deliberate inactivity.
While I applaud the Herald-Standard for lambasting the stall tactics, I would suggest that you train your wrath on the true culprits – the Senate Republicans – who are needlessly sitting on this critical legislation.
Richard A. Kasunic of Dunbar is a Senate Democrat representing Fayette and Somerset counties.