Maryland 2006 3-way Senate Debate: on Health Care


Benjamin Cardin: Use market forces to bring down pharmaceutical costs

ZEESE: The only way we have ever seen any country provide health care for all is a single-payer healthcare system. But you don’t talk about that because it challenge the people who fund your campaign, the health insurance industry. Those pharmaceutical companies charge people three times as much as they can get those same drugs for, outside the country. You voted twice against for bringing in those drugs for a less expensive price. That’s against the people’s interest.

CARDIN: You know that I’ve introduced legislation to take on the pharmaceutical companies.

ZEESE: Yes, after you voted the wrong way, to not allow less expensive pharmaceuticals into the country.

CARDIN: My bill would reduce the cost of pharmaceutical products by about 2/3rds, using market forces to bring down costs. I’ve taken on the insurance companies. I want Canadians coming to America to buy drugs. Take a look at what I’ve been able to accomplish, and who has stood up to these interests.

Source: MD 2006 3-way Senate Debate (X-ref Zeese) Oct 25, 2006

Kevin Zeese: Politicians oppose single-payer because of big pharma money

ZEESE: The only way we have ever seen any country provide health care for all is a single-payer healthcare system. But you don’t talk about that because it challenge the people who fund your campaign, the health insurance industry. Those pharmaceutical companies charge people three times as much as they can get those same drugs for, outside the country. You voted twice against for bringing in those drugs for a less expensive price. That’s against the people’s interest.

CARDIN: You know that I’ve introduced legislation to take on the pharmaceutical companies.

ZEESE: Yes, after you voted the wrong way, to not allow less expensive pharmaceuticals into the country.

CARDIN: My bill would reduce the cost of pharmaceutical products by about 2/3rds, using market forces to bring down costs. I’ve taken on the insurance companies. I want Canadians coming to America to buy drugs. Take a look at what I’ve been able to accomplish, and who has stood up to these interests.

Source: MD 2006 3-way Senate Debate on NewsChannel 8 Oct 25, 2006

  • The above quotations are from Representative Ben Cardin (D), Lt. Gov. Michael Steele (R), and Kevin Zeese (I) participate in the Maryland Senate Debate. Oct. 25, 2006, in Baltimore, moderated by Bruce DePuyt..
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Candidates and political leaders on Health Care:

Retired Senate as of Jan. 2015:
GA:Chambliss(R)
IA:Harkin(D)
MI:Levin(D)
MT:Baucus(D)
NE:Johanns(R)
OK:Coburn(R)
SD:Johnson(D)
WV:Rockefeller(D)

Resigned from 113th House:
AL-1:Jo Bonner(R)
FL-19:Trey Radel(R)
LA-5:Rod Alexander(R)
MA-5:Ed Markey(D)
MO-9:Jo Ann Emerson(R)
NC-12:Melvin Watt(D)
SC-1:Tim Scott(R) 		Retired House to run for Senate or Governor:
AR-4:Tom Cotton(R)
GA-1:Jack Kingston(R)
GA-10:Paul Broun(R)
GA-11:Phil Gingrey(R)
HI-1:Colleen Hanabusa(D)
IA-1:Bruce Braley(D)
LA-6:Bill Cassidy(R)
ME-2:Mike Michaud(D)
MI-14:Gary Peters(D)
MT-0:Steve Daines(R)
OK-5:James Lankford(R)
PA-13:Allyson Schwartz(D)
TX-36:Steve Stockman(R)
WV-2:Shelley Capito(R) 		Retired House as of Jan. 2015:
AL-6:Spencer Bachus(R)
AR-2:Tim Griffin(R)
CA-11:George Miller(D)
CA-25:Howard McKeon(R)
CA-33:Henry Waxman(D)
CA-45:John Campbell(R)
IA-3:Tom Latham(R)
MN-6:Michele Bachmann(R)
NC-6:Howard Coble(R)
NC-7:Mike McIntyre(D)
NJ-3:Jon Runyan(R)
NY-4:Carolyn McCarthy(D)
NY-21:Bill Owens(D)
PA-6:Jim Gerlach(R)
UT-4:Jim Matheson(D)
VA-8:Jim Moran(D)
VA-10:Frank Wolf(R)
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Page last updated: Feb 15, 2019