U.S. Senate clears way for prescriptiondrug reimportation votes, now it's time  to end poison pill amendments

The Senate broke a filibuster Thursday by a 63-28 vote on Sen. Byron Dorgan's (D-ND) amendment to a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorization bill that would permit the legal reimportation of prescription drugs.  However, Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS) has now introduced an amendment to the Dorgan amendment that would require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to first certify that reimported drugs are safe, something not required for food imports or of any  other items. The Cochran amendment would kill reimportation, because the Bush Administration has refused to implement such certification in the past.

 Also Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH) is introducing an amendment imposing restrictive and unnecessary pharmaceutical industry driven clauses to deprive Americans of access to safe, affordable prescriptions. vote on the Cochran and Dorgan amendments will occur on Monday, May 7. (Click here to read our article on the disengenuity of Senator Gregg).) Call your senators using this toll free number: 1-877-331-1223, and ask that they vote against the Cochran and Gregg amendments and for a clean Dorgan amendment.  Or, if you want to send an email, click on one of the following addresses (Be sure to Identify your name, address and that you are a constituent):