AARP Running Medicare Negotiating Ads

AARP, the nonpartisan membership organization for people over fifty, will begin running radio advertisements in 10 states urging the Senate to pass legislation to allow the federal government to negotiate for lower drug prices. As USA Today notes:

Ads will run in the Washington, D.C., area and in states from New Hampshire to Alaska, strategically chosen in an effort to influence senators whose votes could make the difference. They will clash on the airwaves with the drug industry's ads opposing the legislation, which have run on television since before the House approved similar legislation in January.

The House of Representatives already voted back in January for this common-sense legislation, which was part of Speaker Pelosi's successful "100 Hours" agenda. The House vote was largely along party lines. Back then, the AFL-CIO blog wrote:

The pharmaceutical industry has joined the Bush White House in vigorously opposing lower prices through negotiations—and already has launched a massive lobbying and PR campaign aimed at the Senate, which will take up the bill soon. Drug industry lobbyists have buttonholed lawmakers, especially newly elected members, according to news reports.

This month alone, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhARMA) spent more than $1 million on full-page newspaper ads touting the success of the existing Medicare drug system, according to The Washington Post.

Negotiating for lower drug prices is hugely popular, with a large majority of Americans in favor.