Frist and Hastert sneak in gift for drug friends

WASHINGTON — Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and House Speaker Dennis Hastert engineered a backroom legislative maneuver to protect pharmaceutical companies from lawsuits, say witnesses to the pre-Christmas power play.

The language was tucked into a Defense Department appropriations bill at the last minute without the approval of members of a House-Senate conference committee, say several witnesses, including a top Republican staff member.

In an interview, Frist, a doctor and Tennessee Republican, denied that the wording was added that way.

Trial lawyers and other groups condemn the law, saying it could make it nearly impossible for people harmed by a vaccine to force the drug maker to pay for their injuries.

more...

How about this line:

The Senate unanimously approved the legislation Dec. 21, but not before Senate Democrats, including several members of the conference committee, bashed the way the vaccine language was inserted.



"What an insult to the legislative process," said Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., a member of the conference committee. Byrd is considered the authority on legislative rules and tradition.

While we know the corrupt Republicans will make nice for their friends, the Democrats knew this was in there and still voted for it. Sometimes, if you have to hold your nose when you vote, you shouldn't vote. The Republicans would have beat up on the Dems if they would not have voted "for" this Defense bill, but they could have made a big enough stink to get this out if they really were going to act like the loyal opposition.

posted by Stash @ 9:56 AM