|
SenatorBaucus uploaded a new video
(1 month ago)
December 7, 2011
***For Immediate Release***
BAUCUS CALLS HEARING TO EXAMINE NATIONAL DRUG SHORTAGE CRISIS HURTING MONTANA PATIENTS
Senator Brings Bil...
more
December 7, 2011
***For Immediate Release***
BAUCUS CALLS HEARING TO EXAMINE NATIONAL DRUG SHORTAGE CRISIS HURTING MONTANA PATIENTS
Senator Brings Billings Cancer Doctor to Testify before Senate Panel
(Washington, D.C.) -- Montana's senior U.S. Senator Max Baucus brought Billings oncologist Dr. Pat Cobb to testify at a Senate hearing today regarding the national drug shortage crisis. Baucus called the hearing in response to concerns from Montanans who have suffered medical complications as a result of drug shortages. Baucus highlighted the story of Dawn Grayson from Billings whose infant son Tanner suffered severe chemical burns and permanent scaring because of a calcium shortage.
"It's absolutely unacceptable that, in the in the United States of America, mothers like Dawn aren't able to get their children the medicines they need," Baucus said. "We've got to find solutions to get patients the medicines they need right now and address the root causes of drug shortages to keep this from happening to even more families."
Dr. Cobb runs the Frontier Cancer Center in Billings. He shared how the shortage crisis is affecting his practice and patients.
"I have been a private practice oncologist in Billings Montana for the last 16 years," Cobb told the Senate Panel. "Every day patients come to me asking a simple, but critical, question: Can you help me? And for most of my career, the answer has generally been yes -- that is up until now. The recent shortage of generic chemotherapy drugs has significantly limited our treatment options, and in many cases has made treatments much more expensive than they have to be."
Dr. Cobb also shared the personal stories of two of his patients (watch HERE).
Dawn Grayson's story
This April, Dawn Grayson of Billings, MT, gave birth to a beautiful baby boy named Tanner. Tanner was born 11 weeks premature and developed necrotizing enterocolitis, a serious and sometimes fatal bowel infection. Tanner then had to be life-fighted to a hospital is Salt Lake City, Utah for emergency surgery.
Following the surgery, Tanner couldn't take a bottle like other babies because of his condition. Instead, he had to get all his nutrients, including calcium, through an I.V. mixture, known as Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN). Calcium is a critical part of the TPN solution because it is necessary for muscle function and bone building, especially in young children.
But there was a national shortage on the type of calcium that Tanner needed for his TPN mixture. He could not go without calcium altogether. So, the hospital had to give Tanner a substitute that caused chemical burns and permanent scarring on his arm and foot. Dawn is concerned the scaring will affect her son's mobility as he gets older.
Quick Drug Shortage Facts:
• A recent survey of 820 hospitals preformed by the American Hospital Association, found almost all of those surveyed had experienced at least one drug shortage in the past six months and nearly half of surveyed hospitals experienced 21 or more shortages during the same time.
• More than half a million cancer patients were affected by drug shortages last year.
• Drug shortages are not a new problem. But the number of drugs and patients affected over the past several years has grown at an alarming rate. There were shortages on 211 drugs last year. That's up from 58 shortages in 2004.
• In October, the Associated Press reported at least 15 people had died as a result of drug shortages this year.
less
|
|
| |
|
|
SenatorBaucus uploaded a new video
(2 months ago)
December 1, 2011
***For Immediate Release***
Baucus Presses Regulators to Find Answers for Montana Farmers, Ranchers Hurt By MF Global
Senator Calls ...
more
December 1, 2011
***For Immediate Release***
Baucus Presses Regulators to Find Answers for Montana Farmers, Ranchers Hurt By MF Global
Senator Calls on CFTC, SEC to Find Quickest Solution to Repay Montanans Money that is Rightfully Theirs
(Washington, D.C.) -- Montana's senior U.S. Senator Max Baucus today called on regulators to find the quickest solution to fully repay Montana farmers and ranchers hurt by the irresponsible, and potentially illegal, practices of international investment firm MF Global. Baucus questioned representatives from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) at a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing this morning after hearing from several Montana farmers and ranchers whose customer accounts are now frozen amid the MF Global bankruptcy scandal where upwards of $1.2 billion in customer funds are missing.
Most recently, members of Baucus' staff have heard from several attendees at this week's Montana Grain Growers Association Convention in Great Falls. Baucus highlighted the story of Fairfield farmer Marty Klinker at today's hearing.
"I want you to understand this hearing isn't just an academic exercise," Baucus said to the regulators. "We're talking about real Montana farmers and ranchers who engaged in good, legitimate business practices, and they have been hurt by unchecked greed. Marty Klinker, for example, a farmer out of Fairfield, Montana, may be out thousands of dollars because he trusted the system that was supposed to protect him. So I want to know first when and how are we going to get these folks back their money, and second, what do you say to Marty and farmers like him all across the county? Folks like you and I are just the hired hands, we are the employees. The employers are the people we work for in this country, and they trust us to make sure there is an orderly procedure here. And they need you to make sure their accounts are sufficiently protected and nobody is taking advantage of them."
It's common practice for farmers and ranchers across the country, like Klinker, to use futures contracts to avoid market volatility by locking in a price for their crops or livestock in advance. Klinker held both liquid assets and open trades at MF Global, which were frozen when the firm filed for bankruptcy. So far Marty has received about 12 percent of the open trades and about 60 percent of the liquid assets in his accounts.
The Agriculture Committee will follow up with another hearing on MF Global later this month.
Additional Background:
On October 31, 2011, MF Global -- a large brokerage firm registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as a broker-dealer and with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) as a futures commission merchant (FCM) -- filed for bankruptcy. Farmers and ranchers across the country use futures contracts, with firms such as MF Global, to limit their risk in the commodities market. Under normal bankruptcy proceedings, these types of contracts are supposed to be protected by strict segregation rules: customer funds entrusted to futures commission merchants -- in this case MF Global -- are required to be kept in separate accounts and the futures commission merchant is not allowed to use them for its own purposes.
In the MF Global case, however, upwards of $1.2 billion in customer funds are missing. The CFTC, SEC, Justice Department, and the bankruptcy trustee are investigating the shortfall and trying to locate the missing funds. Violation of segregation rules, if it occurred, is subject to civil and criminal penalties.
On November 17, 2011, the bankruptcy court approved a distribution of $520 million, or 60 percent of the $869 million in cash accounts that has been frozen since the bankruptcy. But this leaves some Montana farmer and ranchers still currently out thousands of dollars that rightfully belongs to them.
less
|
|
| |
|
|
SenatorBaucus uploaded a new video
(2 months ago)
November 29, 2011
***For Immediate Release***
Baucus Secures Commitment From ESPN to Air NCAA Football Playoffs on Cable and Satellite Television
Mon...
more
November 29, 2011
***For Immediate Release***
Baucus Secures Commitment From ESPN to Air NCAA Football Playoffs on Cable and Satellite Television
Montanans will have access to all football playoff games via cable and satellite subscription service in addition to ESPN3
(Washington, D.C.) -- Montana's U.S. Senators Max Baucus and Jon Tester today scored a touchdown for Montana football fans by securing a commitment from ESPN to allow broader TV distribution of the upcoming Bobcats and Grizzlies playoff games.
Both Senators last week asked ESPN to make the games more widely available to Montana viewers and fans. The cable sports network today responded by announcing it will make all 8 games of the December 3rd NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs available on cable and satellite nationwide through ESPN GamePlan for a suggested retail price of $24.60 in addition to its previously announced carriage on ESPN3. Montanans can call their cable or satellite provider to access the playoff games.
"The Cats and the Griz bring such a strong tradition to our communities. I'm thrilled ESPN understands this is the right thing for Montana, and am proud of all the Montanans who came together in support of our Montana teams," Baucus said.
"ESPN made the right call for Montana, and I appreciate them listening to the thousands of fans who rallied in support of Montana football," Tester said. "This is a victory that belongs to all Montanans, and it's a testament to the power of uniting for a common goal."
Baucus and Tester last week noted in correspondence with ESPN that many Montanans travel across the state in wintry weather to watch their teams play. Hundreds of thousands of fans enjoy the games on TV.
Additional background:
The Montana State University Bobcats will host the University of New Hampshire Wildcats in a second-round playoff game December 3. The University of Montana Grizzlies will host Central Arkansas also on December 3.
###
less
|
|
| |
|
|
SenatorBaucus uploaded a new video
(2 months ago)
November 21, 2011
***For Immediate Release***
Baucus Statement Following Announcement from Joint Select Committee Co-Chairs
(Washington, D.C.) -- Mont...
more
November 21, 2011
***For Immediate Release***
Baucus Statement Following Announcement from Joint Select Committee Co-Chairs
(Washington, D.C.) -- Montana's senior U.S. Senator and one of twelve lawmakers chosen to serve on the Joint Select Committee on reducing the nation's deficit released the following statement today in response to the announcement from the co-chairs of that the committee would not meet its deadline:
"While I'm deeply disappointed that some members of the committee chose to miss an incredible opportunity today, I'm not giving up because the nation's mounting deficit still requires a courageous solution. Montanans and all Americans deserve better. Tomorrow is a new day with new opportunities to tackle our fiscal deficit and our jobs deficit-- which go hand in hand.
Some folks in Washington are too worried about politics to do what's right.
Through thousands of letters, phone calls and emails Montanans made two things very clear: They believe in protecting Medicare and they believe any solution should be fair -- and that means asking folks making millions of dollars a year to chip in along with working families.
I'll keep fighting for Montana jobs -- today we signed my vets tax credit into law, and I'm still fighting for a highway bill that will support thousands of jobs by investing in our transportation infrastructure. As Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, I'll keep looking for ways to bring fairness to the tax code by looking for a payroll tax cut, doc fix and ways to improve unemployment insurance.
"The bottom line here is that while the Joint Select Committee could not come up with a deficit plan reduction Montanans and all Americans deserve, and I am not done working and I'll keep fighting for a solution that works for Montana."
Contact: Kate Downen 406-224-5056/Kathy Weber 406-329-7980/Jennifer Donohue 202-224-4362
# # #
less
|
|
| |
|
|
SenatorBaucus uploaded a new video
(2 months ago)
Fellow Montanans,
Today I want to say thank you. Thank you to our veterans and our troops currently serving. Thank you to their families. Thank yo...
more
Fellow Montanans,
Today I want to say thank you. Thank you to our veterans and our troops currently serving. Thank you to their families. Thank you to their communities.
As Montanans, we have deep appreciation for the sacrifices our veterans and their families have made. We are the proud home to more veterans per capita than almost any other state.
That's because service, patriotism and a sense of duty are part of who we are as Montanans. After September 11, 2001, Montanans volunteered for service at a greater rate than anywhere else. And many of those brave men and women are still serving overseas today.
Veterans' Day takes on an even greater meaning in a time of war. Our servicemen and women who work abroad face some of the most difficult conditions. They serve every day -- weekends, holidays, anniversaries and birthdays. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Our troops are some of the hardest working Americans. And many of them are Montanans.
Veterans' Day is a time to remember the sacrifices they are making right now and of the sacrifices made by those who served before them -- sacrifices that helped build our country and the great state of Montana.
This year, we celebrate Veterans' Day with joy, knowing soon we will be welcoming home Americans serving in Iraq. These service members have made America proud, and bringing them home is the right thing to do.
Now it's time to do the same in Afghanistan. It's time to bring our troops home and focus on the challenges we face right here in America.
Among the greatest of those challenges is jobs. And it's shameful that the high unemployment rate is even higher for our veterans. At 20.1 percent, Montana currently has the 4th highest unemployment rate among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans in the nation. It's not right. And we can't let up until we make it right.
That's why I'm working so hard to pass the VETs Jobs Act. This bill will give a tax credit to help businesses hire veterans. And I cannot think of a better investment than that.
The VETs Jobs bill is just one piece. I am also sponsoring the Hiring Heroes Act to make it easier for veterans to translate the valuable skill they learn on the battlefield into civilian employment. If a service member can drive heavy equipment in Iraq, then they ought to be able to drive a truck here at home. If they can serve as a medic in Afghanistan, then they are certainly qualified to be an EMT in Montana.
I am also pushing legislation to hold federal agencies accountable for meeting the goal to award at least three percent of federal contracts to small businesses owned by disabled veterans.
And, I have commissioned a study from the independent Government Accountability Office, to find ways our government programs can do a better job connecting veterans with the good-paying jobs they need.
Today, we say thank you. But it isn't enough just to say it. We must show our gratitude with the things we do -- not just today, but every day.
We must honor the sacrifices our veterans have made fighting overseas by coming together to tackle the tough challenges we face here at home. We owe it to them to build a stronger Montana and a stronger America for the next generation.
Sincerly,
Max
less
|
|
