/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following was released today by the Republican National Committee:
Today, The U.S. Senate Will Hold Hearings For President-Elect Obama's Health And Human Services Nominee, Former Sen. Tom Daschle (D-SD):
Daschle Will Be Testifying At His Senate Confirmation Hearing On Thursday. "Obama's choice to lead the reform effort, former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, testifies at his Senate confirmation hearing on Thursday -- beginning a process to change the nation's healthcare that could be one of the most ambitious and expensive undertakings of the Obama presidency." (David Alexander, "Obama Building Grassroots Support For Health Reform," Reuters, 1/7/09)
Obama Announced That Daschle Will Serve As The "Lead Architect" On Health Care Reform In Addition To His Role As Health And Human Services Secretary:
Obama Announced That Daschle Will "Be The Lead Architect" Of Health Care Reform In Addition To Serving As HHS Secretary. Obama: "I've asked Tom to serve not just as my secretary of Health and Human Services, but also as my director of White House -- of my White House Office of Health Reform. As such, he will be responsible not just for implementing our health care plan, he will also be the lead architect of that plan." (Barack Obama, Press Conference, 12/11/08)
Obama Said No One Is "Better Suited To Lead This Effort" Than Daschle. Obama: "I can think of no one better suited to lead this effort than the man standing beside me today. Tom Daschle is one of America's foremost health care experts." (Barack Obama, Press Conference, 12/11/08)
DASCHLE WAS MAJOR PLAYER IN FAILED CLINTON HEALTH CARE PLAN
Daschle "Played A Major Part" In Advocating Sen. Clinton's Doomed Health Care Plan Of 1993:
Daschle "Played A Major Part" In The Failed Clinton Attempt To Reform Health Care In 1993. "He also devotes a section of the book to 'What Went Wrong And Models For Making It Right,' with a heavy concentration on the Clinton plan. 'I think it's important that we learn the lessons of the past,' he said ... Daschle is well aware of those lessons, having played a major part in the failed campaign for universal health care and learned many of the mistakes that were made from a Capitol Hill perspective." (Erin McPike, "Daschle Warm To Obama Health Role," CongressDaily, 6/5/08)
The Clinton Administration Expected Daschle To Help "Carry The Ball" On Their Health Care Platform. "[Sec. Lloyd] Bentsen and [Sec. Donna] Shalala, joined by the members of the economic team argued against the proposed price ceilings on insurance premiums. Those so-called premiums caps would be viewed, correctly, as proxies for price controls -- and Congress despised price controls. They argued that the alliances were too regulatory, the overall plan too bureaucratic. And they said that Medicare cuts were too extreme and would cause severe problems, both in urban states like New York and rural ones like South Dakota. These, Bensten knew well, were potential time bombs for the Senate Finance Committee, where Democratic senators from those states, Pat Moynihan and Tom Daschle, were expected to carry the ball for the President." (Haynes Johnson and David Broder, The System, 1996, p. 161)
Daschle Was One Of Only Two Democrats On The Senate Finance Committee That Held "Out For The Clinton Plan" Against Other Health Care Proposals In Congress. "[Rep. Jim] Cooper had told [Rep. Mike] Synar that his co-sponsor, Senator John Breaux, was convinced that only two Democrats on Finance -- Majority Leader George Mitchell of Maine and Senator Tom Daschle of South Dakota, Mitchell's protg and 1995 successor as leader of the Senate Democrats -- would hold out for the Clinton plan." (Haynes Johnson and David Broder, The System, 1996, p. 336)
Daschle Was Considered A "Foot Soldier" For The Clinton Health Care Reform Effort, During The Time When The Senate Had Become "Increasingly Hostile To Bi-Partisanship." "The Senate environment was also increasingly hostile to bi-partisanship. Something new-and destructive- was at work. ... It was true that in the clash over health care reform, some senators acted out assigned roles -- or roles others suspected them of playing. Jay Rockefeller thus was regarded by other Democrats as the foot soldier for the First Lady; Tom Daschle of South Dakota as the foot soldier for the Senate Majority Leader Mitchell; Mitchell as the foot soldier for the President's bill..." (Haynes Johnson and David Broder, The System, 1996, pp. 382-383)
Daschle Pushed For A Vote On The Clinton Plan Despite Opposition In The Senate:
Daschle Pressed For A Vote On The Clinton Plan "To Force Accountability" Among Those Opposed To The Plan. "Tom Daschle of South Dakota, Mitchell's deputy and soon to be his successor as Democratic leader, was as devoted as anyone to passage; but he conceded in conversations with us that August, because the Democrats lacked consensus on whether to fight or let the issue fade, 'there is a belief that to have it trail off may be the best approach.' Daschle was among the senators who argued they needed 'to force accountability,' to 'force the Republicans to vote on something.' In the end, though, his was a minority view. 'There is a feeling,' Daschle added, 'that we are putting as many Democrats on the line as Republicans' by pressing for a vote on the unpopular bill, and that feeling was even stronger among House Democrats. In recalling his private conversations with House Democratic leaders, Daschle remembered, 'They were just really worried about crawling out there on a limb as they've done in the past this close to an election. The votes weren't there for that.'" (Haynes Johnson and David Broder, The System, 1996, p. 515)
DASCHLE'S WORK FOR LOBBYING FIRM CREATES POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST
Daschle Is An Adviser For Washington, D.C. Lobbying Firm, Which Has Earned Millions Lobbying For Health Care Industry:
Daschle Is A "Special Policy Adviser" For Prominent D.C. Lobbying Firm, Which Has Earned More Than $16 Million Representing The Health Care Industry During Daschle's Tenure. "Barack Obama's expected pick of former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle to be secretary of health and human services bumps up against the president-elect's pledge to rid the White House of special interests. The former Democratic senator from South Dakota is a special policy adviser for the lobbying law firm Alston & Bird. And in his three years there, the firm has earned more than $16 million representing some of the health care industry's most powerful interests before the department he's in line to lead." (Chris Frates, "Daschle Lobby Ties Bump Obama Vow," Politico, 12/1/08)
Daschle's Work As A Paid Adviser "Appears To Run Counter To Obama's Pledge 'To Free The Executive Branch From Special Interest Influence'" Since According To Obama's Team, Political Appointees Are Not "Permitted To Work On Regulations Or Contracts Directly And Substantially Related To Their Prior Employer For Two Years." "Daschle is not himself a lobbyist. But he has advised the firm's clients on health care issues, according to the firm's website. His work as a paid adviser appears to run counter to Obama's pledge to 'free the executive branch from special interest influence.' No political appointee, Obama's transition team has declared, 'will be permitted to work on regulations or contracts directly and substantially related to their prior employer for two years.' As health and human services secretary, Daschle would oversee myriad regulations, ranging from the drugs that can come to market to Medicare and Medicare reimbursements." (Chris Frates, "Daschle Lobby Ties Bump Obama Vow," Politico, 12/1/08)
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Showing posts with label daschle. Show all posts
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Thursday, January 8, 2009
Thursday, December 11, 2008
The American Federation for Medical Research Says Daschle Must Cure Clinical Research Crisis if Change Is To Take Hold in U.S. Health Care System
/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Federation for Medical Research (AFMR) announces its full support of Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle's appointment to the post of Health and Human Services secretary. Mr. Daschle will serve as President-elect Obama's top administration official to overhaul the nation's health care system.
As a result of its work since 1940, the AFMR believes firmly that improving clinical research in the U.S., which weakened significantly during the Bush administration, is a lynchpin to achieving sustainable change in the U.S. health care system. The AFMR pledges the full support of its human resources, medical expertise and scientific knowledge to Mr. Daschle and the Obama administration for the advancement of clinical research, including its leading U.S. physician members and Nobel laureates who have made significant contributions to modern medicine and patient care through clinical research.
"Medical science and the U.S. health care system cannot progress without clinical research," said Dr. Alan Buchman, president of the AFMR and a prominent physician in gastroenterology. "Yet our nation has neglected the advancement of clinical research -- that which involves patients directly -- which can prevent disease, lead to more effective disease treatments, medical breakthroughs for chronic diseases, and cut the astronomical costs and inefficiencies that plague our health care system. Mr. Daschle has the opportunity to fix this fundamental issue early on, which will have an enormous positive ripple effect on the rest of the health care system," said Buchman.
The U.S. clinical research crisis stems from two primary issues: 1) Federal budget cuts for the NIH, particularly in funds spent on clinical research and the education and training of future clinical investigators and physician-scientists, and 2) Lack of support for future physician-scientists, whose job it will be to bring modern medicine and quality patient care to future generations.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, chronic diseases account for seven out of 10 deaths in the U.S. and for 75% of every health care dollar spent each year. Yet federal funding for clinical research has decreased in recent years, and funding that has been apportioned, has gone mainly to basic research rather than clinical research - the only kind of research that generates disease-specific breakthroughs and patient treatment alternatives.
The NIH budget for the current fiscal year, $29.2 billion, represents a $329 million increase over last year, but the actual growth for NIH programs is much less because $200 million of the increase was earmarked for the Department of State Global HIV/AIDS fund. When the $200 million is subtracted from the budget, the actual increase in NIH programs is reduced to just $133 million (0.5%) over last year. It is not yet known how the FY 2009 budget will be impacted, although the statement accompanying the signed bill from President Bush indicated his intention to submit an FY 2009 budget proposal that will "once again restrain spending."
One program impacted by the tightening of the NIH budget is the Clinical Translational Science Award program (CTSA) -- the NIH-supported clinical research program intended to speed the translation of scientific discovery to the treatment of patients. As a result of the cuts, the NIH is unable to fully fund the evolution and expansion of the CTSA program, which has become a critical training and research structure for junior investigators.
Another alarming issue is the growing scarcity of human resources in the clinical research field. The current generation of physician investigators is aging rapidly and there aren't enough investigators to replace them because support for new investigators entering the field has decreased significantly in recent years.
According to the NIH, the average age of physician scientists in 1980 was 39. By 2015, the average age is expected to be 52. If action is not taken now, the U.S. will face a critical shortage of qualified physician investigators within the next decade, creating a massive knowledge gap between aging physicians and the next generation of physicians.
"The cost of not advancing research and training future physician scientists is one that will be paid by the entire world. The United States is a global feeder pool of physician scientists," said Buchman. "A further breakdown in clinical research and failure to revitalize the physician-scientist workforce of the future will impact medical breakthroughs, treatments and critical training throughout the world. The pharmaceutical industry cannot be counted on to undertake clinical research alone, and from an economic standpoint, clinical research dollars are being focused away from the U.S. and concentrated on China and India."
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As a result of its work since 1940, the AFMR believes firmly that improving clinical research in the U.S., which weakened significantly during the Bush administration, is a lynchpin to achieving sustainable change in the U.S. health care system. The AFMR pledges the full support of its human resources, medical expertise and scientific knowledge to Mr. Daschle and the Obama administration for the advancement of clinical research, including its leading U.S. physician members and Nobel laureates who have made significant contributions to modern medicine and patient care through clinical research.
"Medical science and the U.S. health care system cannot progress without clinical research," said Dr. Alan Buchman, president of the AFMR and a prominent physician in gastroenterology. "Yet our nation has neglected the advancement of clinical research -- that which involves patients directly -- which can prevent disease, lead to more effective disease treatments, medical breakthroughs for chronic diseases, and cut the astronomical costs and inefficiencies that plague our health care system. Mr. Daschle has the opportunity to fix this fundamental issue early on, which will have an enormous positive ripple effect on the rest of the health care system," said Buchman.
The U.S. clinical research crisis stems from two primary issues: 1) Federal budget cuts for the NIH, particularly in funds spent on clinical research and the education and training of future clinical investigators and physician-scientists, and 2) Lack of support for future physician-scientists, whose job it will be to bring modern medicine and quality patient care to future generations.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, chronic diseases account for seven out of 10 deaths in the U.S. and for 75% of every health care dollar spent each year. Yet federal funding for clinical research has decreased in recent years, and funding that has been apportioned, has gone mainly to basic research rather than clinical research - the only kind of research that generates disease-specific breakthroughs and patient treatment alternatives.
The NIH budget for the current fiscal year, $29.2 billion, represents a $329 million increase over last year, but the actual growth for NIH programs is much less because $200 million of the increase was earmarked for the Department of State Global HIV/AIDS fund. When the $200 million is subtracted from the budget, the actual increase in NIH programs is reduced to just $133 million (0.5%) over last year. It is not yet known how the FY 2009 budget will be impacted, although the statement accompanying the signed bill from President Bush indicated his intention to submit an FY 2009 budget proposal that will "once again restrain spending."
One program impacted by the tightening of the NIH budget is the Clinical Translational Science Award program (CTSA) -- the NIH-supported clinical research program intended to speed the translation of scientific discovery to the treatment of patients. As a result of the cuts, the NIH is unable to fully fund the evolution and expansion of the CTSA program, which has become a critical training and research structure for junior investigators.
Another alarming issue is the growing scarcity of human resources in the clinical research field. The current generation of physician investigators is aging rapidly and there aren't enough investigators to replace them because support for new investigators entering the field has decreased significantly in recent years.
According to the NIH, the average age of physician scientists in 1980 was 39. By 2015, the average age is expected to be 52. If action is not taken now, the U.S. will face a critical shortage of qualified physician investigators within the next decade, creating a massive knowledge gap between aging physicians and the next generation of physicians.
"The cost of not advancing research and training future physician scientists is one that will be paid by the entire world. The United States is a global feeder pool of physician scientists," said Buchman. "A further breakdown in clinical research and failure to revitalize the physician-scientist workforce of the future will impact medical breakthroughs, treatments and critical training throughout the world. The pharmaceutical industry cannot be counted on to undertake clinical research alone, and from an economic standpoint, clinical research dollars are being focused away from the U.S. and concentrated on China and India."
-----
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