www.TodaysSeniorsNetwork.com publisher calls on Senator Frist to ‘practice what he preaches’, allow up-down vote on prescription drugs from outside US

St. Louis, MO—The publisher of www.TodaysSeniorsNetwork.com, one of the nation’s leading informational web sites for America’s Seniors, today called on Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist to ‘practice what he preaches,’ and allow the U.S. Senate to have an up-down vote on legislation allowing the sale of prescription drugs from outside the U.S. to American citizens.

Daniel Hines says that while the Tennessee Senator was highly vocal in his demands for the right of Senators to ‘do their job’ and vote up or down on judicial appointments of the Bush Administration, he continues a policy of not allowing such a vote on prescription drugs from outside the U.S. Currently, such sales are not allowed by law, leading the FDA to make unfounded accusations regarding the safety and efficacy of such prescriptions, and to be the claimed basis for a recent rash of seizures of prescription drugs being shipped primary to elderly Americans.

There are two major pieces of legislation stalled in the Senate: S.334, the Dorgan-Snowe Pharmaceutical Access and Drug Safety Act, sponsored by Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) and Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME), and co-sponsored by a bi-partisan coalition of 32 other Senators; and S.109, the Vitter-Thune Pharmaceutical Market Access Act of 2005, sponsored by Senator David Vitter (R-LA) and Senator John Thune (R-SD). It has three co-sponsors.

“Despite the overwhelming and continuing support for providing some sort of relief to Americans besieged by high prescription drug costs, Senator Frist does the bidding of the pharmaceutical manufacturers by not allowing a vote,” Hines observes.

“In the meantime, the American public has already voted with its pocketbook, turning in increasing numbers to Canadian-based licensed and registered pharmacies. And, despite the costly promotion of the Bush Administration for the flawed Medicare Prescription Drug Card Plan, it is becoming increasingly apparent that the option of using such mail-order pharmacies is still a better value for American seniors.

“Add to this number, the large groups of un- and underinsured, as well as those affected by the Medicaid cuts taking place across the nation, and it becomes readily apparent that the U.S. is rapidly approaching a national health care crisis.

“If this weren’t enough to prompt Senator Frist to allow the Senate to do its job on behalf of the American public, the Bush Administration faces yet another challenge in its budgetary crisis when the true costs of the Medicare Prescription Drug Card Plan create an even larger deficit. Policy-makers very likely will have to turn to competitively priced prescription drugs from outside the U.S. to ease the pain.”

Hines notes that Senator Frist is mentioned frequently as a possible candidate for the Republican Presidential nomination in 2008.

“Senator Frist has already reportedly angered the Bush Administration by his stance on stem-cell research,” Hines observes. “It is now time for him to take another step of political courage by allowing an up-down vote on these bills.

”He should separate himself from the Bush Administration yet again, this time by having the political courage to do the right thing, break from the policies of pharmaceutical manufacturers, thereby risking alienating them and losing them as a source of funding for any Presidential run, but making sure that Americans have access to safe, high-quality, low-cost prescription drugs from outside the U.S.

“As a medical doctor, Senator Frist should know first hand the importance of prescription drugs in health maintenance. As the Majority Leader, he should practice what he preaches, and allow the U.S. Senate to have its chance to vote.”