May 2010
Senate Approves Tax-Paid Sex Drugs for Sex Offenders
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 he U.S. Senate voted to permit convicted rapists and various sex offenders to receive Viagra and other sexual performance enhancement drugs through prescriptions paid for by health plans subsizided by U.S. taxpayers. The vote came on March 24 during final consideration of President Barck Obama's plan to federalize the U.S. healthcare insurance system.
An amendment to prohibit federal subsidies for the drugs if prescribed to sex offenders was offered by Sen. Tom Coburn, R- OK, a physician. But a motion to table the amendment -- which prevents the amendment from receiving a yes or no vote -- was approved 57 to 42.
Because the Senate voted to reject the amendment, rapists and sex offenders will be eligible to receive the drugs under Obama's healthcare plan at taxpayer expense. In a memo to Coburn last month, the non-partisan Congressional Research Service confirmed that there are no provisions in the new health care law "which would require health plans to limit the type of benefits that can be offered based on the plan beneficiary's prior criminal convictions. Additionally, there do not appear to be any provisions that would specifically restrict qualified health plans' coverage for drugs prescribed to treat [sexual dysfunctions]."
CRS added, "Therefore, a convicted rapist, child molester, or other sex offender who is not incarcerated would not appear to be excluded from enrolling in a qualified health plan ... solely because of that conviction."
Coburn said most Americans would have supported his amendment. "The vast majority of Americans don't want their taxpayer dollars paying for this kind of drug for those kind of people," he said.
Sen. Max Baucus, D-MT, chief sponsor of the healthcare plan, supports giving tax-subsidized Viagra to rapists. He said Coburn's amendment was frivolous. "It is not a serious amendment," he said. "It is a crass political stunt aimed at making 30-second commercials, not public policy."
Here is the roll call vote on the motion to table Coburn's amendment no. 3556. A 'yes' vote was to kill the amendment, and to allow tax-subsidized Viagra for rapists. A 'no' vote was in favor of the amendment, to prevent tax-subsidized Viagra for rapists.
YEAs —57
Akaka (D-HI)
Baucus (D-MT)
Begich (D-AK)
Bennet (D-CO)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Brown (D-OH)
Burris (D-IL)
Byrd (D-WV)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Cardin (D-MD)
Carper (D-DE)
Casey (D-PA)
Conrad (D-ND)
Dodd (D-CT)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Franken (D-MN)
Gillibrand (D-NY)
Hagan (D-NC)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kaufman (D-DE)
Kerry (D-MA)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Kohl (D-WI)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (ID-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
McCaskill (D-MO)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Merkley (D-OR)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Pryor (D-AR)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Sanders (I-VT)
Schumer (D-NY)
Shaheen (D-NH)
Specter (D-PA)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Tester (D-MT)
Udall (D-CO)
Udall (D-NM)
Warner (D-VA)
Webb (D-VA)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wyden (D-OR)
NAYs —42
Alexander (R-TN)
Barrasso (R-WY)
Bayh (D-IN)
Bennett (R-UT)
Bond (R-MO)
Brown (R-MA)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burr (R-NC)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Collins (R-ME)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Johanns (R-NE)
Kyl (R-AZ)
LeMieux (R-FL)
Lugar (R-IN)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Nelson (D-NE)
Risch (R-ID)
Roberts (R-KS)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Snowe (R-ME)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Wicker (R-MS)
Not Voting - 1
Isakson (R-GA) [Illness]
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