Emanuel Awards “Hypocrisy Moment of the Week” to HHS Secretary Thompson

CHICAGO, IL—U.S. Representative Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) awarded his Hypocrisy Moment of the Week to Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson for failing to provide meaningful competition to reduce prescription drug prices.

Introducing a new feature on the “Medicare.gov” website comparing prices among brand-name drugs, Secretary Thompson said, “We are creating greater competition among drug companies and giving seniors more power to compare prices and choose the lowest-cost medicine that's right for them.”

Emanuel contrasted the Administration’s supposed support for competitive pricing with its opposition to prescription drug importation, a plan to open the American market to lower priced prescription drugs from Canada and Europe.

Added Emanuel, “The only competition this Administration supports is between unaffordable and really unaffordable drugs.”