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Floor Speech

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Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I want to first rise to congratulate my colleague from Iowa. I am glad that he has told the story for all to hear about Medicare Part D and the benefits that he has brought to his State and mine and to the Nation. It was a remarkable achievement, and I congratulate him on the anniversary of enacting that legislation.

I say, even though we are of different political parties, we are friends, and we find common ground, and we have repeatedly. One of the issues we are both fighting for now is that of a simple disclosure on the television ads for prescription drugs to tell consumers across America what they cost. What a radical idea--the cost of the drug. We think--and we share the belief--that disclosure to the consumer is important, and an understanding of how some of these drugs--which, I guess, have become so common in our daily lives that we can actually not only print out but spell Xarelto--that we ought to know what it costs so that those who think it might be the right drug for them will at least have an idea of the thousands of dollars a month they have to pay for these drugs.

It is not a radical idea. We passed it before in the Senate, and it was signed by the President. Questions were raised, so we are at it again. Like your prescription drug Part D, this is something that helps basic consumers in Iowa and Illinois, and I am proud to be a part of that effort with the Senator. I congratulate him again on that achievement.

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