[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 91 (Friday, July 14, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1235]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, AND 
               RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2001

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                               speech of

                          HON. CHARLES F. BASS

                            of new hampshire

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 10, 2000

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 4461) making 
     appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and 
     Drug Administration, and Related Agencies programs for the 
     fiscal year ending September 30, 2001, and for other 
     purposes:

  Mr. BASS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the amendment 
offered by my colleagues from Oklahoma and Maine.
  Prescription drugs are playing an increasing role in health care, and 
thereby account for a growing share of health care costs. To help 
address this trend, I have supported legislation to make health 
insurance, including employer-provided and Medicare managed care plans, 
which often provide special coverage for prescription medication, more 
affordable, accessible, and fair.
  But a particular problem with prescription drug costs is foreign 
price controls. Countries like Canada maintain artificially low drug 
prices, contributing to higher prices in America's free market as 
companies seek to recoup costs for research and development, which in 
turn benefits all countries. Simply establishing price controls in 
America would seriously risk such life-saving and life-improving 
innovation. Instead, we must focus on ways to break down foreign price 
controls and create a broader free market in prescription drugs. A 
first step would be to remove existing barriers to trade while 
maintaining safety and quality controls.
  For example, I am a cosponsor of the Drug Import Fairness Act, H.R. 
3240, which would remove unwarranted red tape from legal prescription 
imports from other countries under current reporting requirements. I 
also recently cosponsored the International Prescription Drug Parity 
Act, H.R. 1885, which would revise reporting requirements better to 
facilitate imports from FDA-certified facilities abroad while 
continuing to protect safety and quality standards.
  This amendment is a step in the same direction, and I hope that 
Congress will continue to examine additional steps to open up free 
trade in prescription drugs while maintaining safety and quality 
standards.

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