[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 87 (Wednesday, June 26, 2002)]
[House]
[Pages H4031-H4032]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Gutknecht) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. GUTKNECHT. Mr. Speaker, I rise to talk about prescription drugs 
as well, and I have to acknowledge that some of the points made by our 
colleagues on the other side of the aisle are exactly right.
  It is unfortunate that we are brought here tonight to discuss a bill 
that, as is true with every bill, is not perfect. And there are a lot 
of things about this bill that I do not like, but I want to talk 
tonight about what I think are the most glaring omissions from this 
bill. As we talk about prescription drugs, as we talk to our 
constituents, the one theme that comes through to us over and over 
again is that the prices are just going through the roof. And it is not 
just from seniors at our town hall meetings. It is from business 
people, big business people.
  We had a meeting the other day with one of the representatives of one 
of the largest corporations in the United States. They are spending $1 
billion a year on prescription drugs. They are spending $1 million a 
week on just one name-brand drug. I am very concerned about the glaring 
omission in this bill, because we do not deal, I think, effectively 
with the most serious problem and that is the price. People cannot 
afford it.
  Whether someone is on Medicare, and we are going to try to create 
this insurance benefit, that will be good; but what about a middle-aged 
parent trying to support three kids and one of them gets a serious 
illness and needs $1,000 a month worth of prescription drugs? What are 
we going to do for them? Well, the answer is, almost nothing.
  Let me talk about the differences between what Americans pay. I have 
used this chart so much that it is starting to get frayed and worn out, 
but let me just give a couple of examples. Glucophage, a very important 
drug. A person does not have to be a senior citizen to have diabetes in 
the United States. Twenty-seven percent of our expenditures for 
Medicare are diabetes related, but a lot of people have to take 
Glucophage. Look at what we pay in the United States. These are not my 
numbers. This is according to the Life Extension Foundation. The 
average price, according to their study for Glucophage, for a 30-day 
supply in the United States is $124. That same drug sells in Europe for 
$22.
  We did some of our own basic research. We sent some people out. These 
are illegal drugs, my colleagues. According to the FDA, I am holding up 
illegal drugs because they were bought in Germany and Italy. But they 
are the same drugs we buy here in the United States.
  Let us talk about this one. Claritin. Very commonly prescribed drug. 
This drug, Claritin, in a pharmacy in my district, this exact same 
drug, made in the same plant under the same FDA approval, in my 
district sells for $64.97. This same drug was bought a week ago in 
Germany for $13.97, American equivalent. That is 14.8 Euros, in case 
you are keeping score at home.
  Another very commonly prescribed drug, an important drug, Zocor. This 
drug in the United States, at a pharmacy in my district, we checked 
just the other day, sells for $45. This little box of pills, $45. This 
same drug purchased in Italy 1 week ago is 14.77 Euros, or $13.94 
American.
  My colleagues, we have a serious problem with prescription drugs. 
Everybody agrees to that. We have to do something to help those seniors 
who are currently falling through the cracks. Everybody agrees on that. 
But, my colleagues, I submit if we do not do something serious about 
opening markets, about creating competition, about allowing our 
pharmacists to reimport these drugs and allowing Americans to have 
access to world drugs at world market prices, then it is not shame on 
the pharmaceutical industry, it is shame on us.

                              {time}  1830

  We are the ones that set that policy. We are the ones that let it 
happen.
  Unfortunately, I am going to be put in a position in the next day or 
two where I am going to have to make a tough choice. I am going to have 
to choose between staying loyal to my leadership or being loyal to what 
I know is true. I hope I do not have to make that choice.
  Ultimately, we cannot allow this chart to continue. Shame on us if we 
do. We are going to have an important vote here on the floor of the 
House, and I hope leadership is listening. We had a tough vote today on 
trade. But if Members really believe in free trade and open markets, 
then come down here to the well of the House. Come down here, Mr. 
Speaker, and tear town this wall. Allow Americans to have access to 
world drugs at world market prices.
  The time has come for Americans to stop subsidizing the starving 
Swiss. Let us have free markets and lower prices, and then we will be 
able to afford to give Americans the kind of coverage that they 
deserve.

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