[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 13 (Wednesday, February 9, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S1206]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. DORGAN (for himself, Ms. Snowe, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Kennedy, 
        Mr. McCain, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Chafee, Mr. Jeffords, Mr. Lott, 
        Mr. Dayton, Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Bingaman, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Conrad, 
        Mr. Durbin, Mr. Feingold, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Inouye, Mr. 
        Johnson, Mr. Kohl, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Levin, Mr. Nelson of Florida, 
        Mr. Obama, Mr. Pryor, Mr. Salazar, Mr. Sarbanes, Mr. Schumer, 
        and Ms. Collins):
  S. 334. A bill to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with 
respect to the importation of prescription drugs, and for other 
purposes; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, today, I am introducing my bipartisan 
prescription drug importation legislation, the Pharmaceutical Market 
Access and Drug Safety Act, along with Senators Snowe, Grassley, 
Kennedy, McCain, Stabenow, Jeffords and many others. In all, the bill 
has 28 cosponsors, and I expect we will add more cosponsors in the 
coming weeks and months.
  I am particularly pleased that Finance Committee Chairman Charles 
Grassley has joined forces with us on this year's bill. Chairman 
Grassley has made a significant contribution to the drug importation 
debate and has provided invaluable assistance in ensuring that our bill 
complies with our country's trade obligations. Chairman Grassley's 
support also helps to demonstrate the growing momentum in the Senate 
for a vote on our bipartisan drug importation legislation.
  I am also glad that, in addition to being tri-partisan, this year's 
bill is also bicameral. Congresswoman JoAnn Emerson and Congressman 
Sherrod Brown are introducing the companion to my bill in the House of 
Representatives today.
  This is an issue whose time has come. By now, it is well-documented 
that American consumers pay by far the highest prices in the world for 
prescription medicines, and our citizens are desperate for relief. 
Earlier this month, we learned that prices on 31 of the top-50 
bestselling drugs went up during the last two-month period. For 
instance, the price of the top-selling drug Lipitor has gone up 5 
percent--double the inflation rate for all of 2004--in just the two 
months since November, 2004. Lipitor costs the American consumer nearly 
twice as much per pill as the Canadian consumer.
  These recent price increases come at the expense of American 
consumers--especially those seniors and uninsured Americans who do not 
have health insurance coverage for prescription drugs. The 
Pharmaceutical Market Access and Drug Safety Act is a step that the 
Congress can take to put downward pressure on drug prices in our 
country. By some estimates, U.S. consumers could save up to $38 billion 
if they could purchase prescription medicines at the Canadian prices.
  This year's bill is substantially similar to the bill that Senator 
Snowe and I introduced last year but it has been refined in response to 
technical assistance we have received from various stakeholders. We 
have thoroughly and pro-actively addressed all of the safety issues 
that some have raised with respect to drug importation. The fact is 
that a system of drug importation, called parallel trade, has 
flourished with no safety problems within the European Union for the 
last two decades. I am convinced that if the Europeans can safely trade 
pharmaceuticals within Europe, the United States can safely do so, and 
our bill gives the Food and Drug Administration the authority and 
resources it needs to oversee such a system.
  We simply cannot continue on our current course of inaction, and I 
want to put my colleagues on notice that I am determined to get a vote 
on this legislation this year on the Senate floor. The agreement that 
Senator Snowe and I reached earlier this month with Majority Leader 
Frist and new Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Chairman 
Enzi to hold a hearing specifically on the Dorgan-Snowe bill is a step 
in the right direction.
  I am convinced that if the full Senate is given the opportunity to 
vote on our bill, it will pass with overwhelming bipartisan support. I 
look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues to get this 
legislation passed by Congress and sent to the President for his 
signature.
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