FERGUSON HURTING SENIORS WITH HIS VOTES ON SOCIAL SECURITY, MEDICARE, PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
Ferguson Voted To Raid Social Security Trust Fund Nine Times; Has Taken More Than $600,000 In Campaign Contributions From Drug Companies(SCOTCH PLAINS) -- New Jersey 7th Democratic Congressional candidate Linda Stender today said Rep. Mike Ferguson's record in Congress shows he has voted repeatedly to harm seniors.

"Mike Ferguson should be ashamed of himself for his record on Social Security, Medicare and prescription drugs," said Stender (D-Fanwood). "He voted to raid Social Security nine times and voted against negotiating for lower drug prices with drug companies. Mike Ferguson is hurting our seniors at a time when we need to be doing everything in our power to protect and help them."

Ferguson supports privatizing Social Security and has voted nine times to raid the Social Security Trust Fund. In 2005, Ferguson voted for a GOP budget resolution that will raid the Social Security Trust Fund of more than $1.1 trillion over the next five years.

"Social Security is a safety net for millions of seniors," said Stender. "Social Security is a retirement blanket, not an investment tool. Mike Ferguson has no right to put Social Security in harm's way. Social Security must not be privatized and it must not be dipped into for tax breaks for the wealthy."

Ferguson has received more than $600,000 in campaign contributions from drug companies. Star-Ledger columnist Tom Moran once wrote: "Talk to Ferguson about the drug industry, and he sounds like a wind-up doll designed by industry lobbyists."

Ferguson has consistently opposed efforts to lower the cost of prescription drugs for New Jerseyans, voting five times to prevent the importation of safe prescription drugs from other countries at lower prices.

In 2003, Ferguson voted for the GOP prescription drug bill that specifically prohibited the government from using its purchasing power to negotiate lower prices for Medicare recipients. He also opposed a motion to allow the Health & Human Services secretary to negotiate lower prices.

Ferguson supported the 2003 Medicare bill that was a gift to the pharmaceutical industry. The bill banned the government from negotiating lower drug prices, prevented the importation of safe prescription drugs, and looks to generate $139 billion in profits for drug companies without controlling drug costs.

"Mike Ferguson is working for drug companies when he is supposed to be working for New Jersey's senior citizens," said Stender. "The time for common-sense change has arrived. It's time to vote Ferguson out of Congress and protect seniors from him and other Bush Republicans that are looking to harm them."

Gov. Jon S. Corzine today signed into law legislation Stender co-sponsored in the Assembly to establish the New Jersey Prescription Drug Retail Registry. The new law creates a website where consumers can view retail prices of the 150 most frequently prescribed medications.

Updated weekly, the retail drug prices list will allow consumers to compare pharmacy prices within a specific zip code and provide links to government websites with related information.

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