TPP dissed

Local senior citizensleader Tom Bird last week took a shot at the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the pending trade agreement among 12 Pacific Rim countries.

“TPP jeopardizes the government's ability to list and price prescription drugs in public programs, like Medicare, which millions of seniors and disabled people rely on,” Bird said. More specifically, foreign corporations or subsidiaries will be able to challenge Medicare if drug pricing in these programs affects their profits. … Finally, TPP could tie the hands of future Congresses to negotiate drug prices under Medicare or enact a Medicare drug rebate program, which would save Medicare $121 billion over 10 years. We know we need to save money on our health care, right? We cannot give that toption away.”

Bird is president of the Nevada Alliance for Retired Americans.