[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 18458]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                             GENERIC DRUGS

  (Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. Mr. Speaker, most Americans know that 
the cost of pharmaceutical drugs is at a record high. Prescription drug 
costs rose 85 percent between 1993 and 1998, and prescription drugs 
represent the highest out-of-pocket expense for three out of four 
senior citizens.
  Generic drugs are FDA approved to be safe and to be secure, but they 
cost 70 percent less than brand name drugs. The fact of the matter is, 
there are loopholes in today's laws that block entry to these 
affordable generic drugs.
  This Congress needs to reform the Hatch-Waxman Act to improve 
competition and make our markets more accessible and fair. Let us end 
the brand drug monopoly that stifles competition, restricts our 
consumers' choice, and raises consumer drug prices.

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