[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 120 (Wednesday, July 17, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4906-S4907]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS

  The following petition or memorial was laid before the Senate and was 
referred or ordered to lie on the table as indicated:

       POM-117. A joint resolution adopted by the Legislature of 
     the State of Maine urging the President of the United States 
     and the United States Congress to enact legislation to allow 
     the importation of safe, affordable prescription medications 
     from Canada and other Organization for Economic Cooperation 
     and Development nations; to the Committee on Health, 
     Education, Labor, and Pensions.

                          House Paper No. 1184

       Whereas, Maine residents have a high median age and a low 
     median income and are especially vulnerable to high 
     prescription drug costs; and
       Whereas, in Canada, within walking distance of Maine's 
     border, the same medications used by Maine residents, 
     manufactured by the same companies in the same factories, are 
     available for a fraction of the price charged in the United 
     States; and
       Whereas, Maine has previously allowed the personal 
     importation of safe prescription medications, which saved 
     residents and businesses as much as half the cost of their 
     medications, significantly decreasing their health care and 
     insurance costs; and
       Whereas, Maine's ability to import such medications has 
     since been blocked by federal law, thus inserting the Federal 
     Government between Maine people and potentially lifesaving 
     medications while also preventing free-market competition 
     from working to benefit consumers; and
       Whereas, in 2014, Americans spent $1,112 per person on 
     prescription drugs while Canadians spent $772 and Danes spent 
     $325, and nearly one in three Americans have been unable to 
     afford the medicine they were prescribed at some point in 
     their lives; and
       Whereas, multiple members of Congress from both major 
     political parties, including Maine's delegation, have 
     introduced legislation to allow wholesalers, pharmacies and 
     individuals to import qualifying prescription drugs from 
     licensed sellers in Canada and other member nations of the 
     Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, using 
     standards for the approval and sale of such medications 
     comparable to those in the United States, that are purchased 
     from an entity certified by the United States Food and Drug 
     Administration and that have the same active ingredient, 
     strength and route of administration as drugs approved in the 
     United States; and

[[Page S4907]]

       Whereas, the President's health care proposal prior to his 
     election read as follows: ``Congress will need the courage to 
     step away from the special interests and do what is right for 
     Americans . . . Allowing consumers access to imported, safe 
     and dependable drugs from overseas will bring more options to 
     consumers''; Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That We, your Memorialists, on behalf of the 
     people we represent, take this opportunity to respectfully 
     request that the President of the United States and the 
     United States Congress enact legislation to allow the 
     importation of safe, affordable prescription medications from 
     Canada and other Organization for Economic Cooperation and 
     Development nations; and be it further
       Resolved, That suitable copies of this resolution, duly 
     authenticated by the Secretary of State, be transmitted to 
     the Honorable Donald J. Trump, President of the United 
     States; the President of the United States Senate; the 
     Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States; 
     and each Member of the Maine Congressional Delegation.

                          ____________________