My letter to the President re: health care reform

Dear President Obama,

I just finished watching your July 17 weekly address online. Yet not one hour ago, I heard on the radio as I was getting out of bed that the proposed health care legislation coming out of the HELP committee, of which my Senator Patty Murray is a senior member, contains strong protections for the pharmaceutical industry. It bans the importation of medications from across the border; guarantees 12 years market exclusivity for brand-name drugs; and does not allow the federal government to negotiate prices. This is not the change you promised us during your campaign, Sir! Until now I've always felt comfortable that Sen. Murray would really act in the people's interests, so this revelation is particularly shocking to me, but it now falls upon you to promise to veto any new legislation that coddles Big Pharma. We can do so much better than this! I have been actively advocating for health care reform in my community, but unless we can find a way to rein in drug costs, any "reform" will wind up bankrupting us, as its opponents claim, and play right into Republicans' hands, as they will be able to continue to chant about "tax and spend" Democrats.

Please, use your veto power to put these important protections back into the bill before you sign anything! Real Americans are depending on you right now to give us real reform, which will go a long way toward not only making us healthier, but also toward balancing the budget and easing everyone's economic burden.

Please let me know what you will do to allow importation of pharmaceuticals from Canada, development of "generic" medications, and direct federal government negotiation with drug companies for the best prices.

Also, people keep asking me why there is still no way to view proposed legislation online for 5 days before you sign it, as you promised during your campaign. We voted for a transparent, accountable government. It's been six months now, and it's becoming harder and harder to mumble about possible technical barriers, licensing or privacy issues, etc. Please tell me why this is still not possible!

Sincerely,