WASHINGTON -- Legislation once expected to fly through the Senate Judiciary Committee -- to help a drug company that had provided private low-cost jet rides to campaign stops for Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah -- was grounded Wednesday.
Hatch announced that the sponsor of the bill, Sen. Robert Torricelli, D-N.J., asked for its consideration to be postponed indefinitely because lengthy debate is now expected, and Congress is in a rush to adjourn for the year.The bill would allow Schering-Plough to apply to extend the patent on Claritin, the nation's best-selling allergy prescription medication. That would prevent generic drug companies from copying it for years.
Schering-Plough contends the government took an excessive amount of time to approve the drug and says extra time is needed to recoup research and development costs.
Criticism from Torricelli's fellow Democrats has endangered the bill.
Vice President Al Gore criticized in a speech last week the high cost of prescription drugs and proposed steps to move lower-priced generic versions to market more quickly.
Also, Sens. Pat Leahy, D-Vt., and Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., have said the bill could cost consumers too much.
Adding to controversy was that when the bill was first scheduled for debate late week, the Associated Press ran a story about how Hatch had flown to many of his presidential campaign stops on a jet owned by Schering-Plough.
Hatch noted that is legal as long as he pays the equivalent of first-class ticket fares. However, he concedes that covers only a fraction of the overall cost of the trips.
With the delay while Congress recesses until next year, Hatch said, "It is hoped that the intervening weeks will afford members and their staffs an opportunity to narrow our differences."