Pocan, Schakowsky Lead 71 Members Calling for Continued Allowance of Prescription Drug Imports
WASHINGTON D.C. –
U.S. Representatives Mark Pocan (WI-02) and Jan Schakowsky (IL-09) today led a letter, signed by 71 Members of Congress, to Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy, Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) Markwayne Mullin, and the commissioners of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), urging that the agencies ensure that Americans can continue to obtain genuine, non-controlled prescription medicines from outside the country.
New CBP procedures for international mail shipments, taking effect October 22, could disrupt 2.3 million Americans’ longstanding ability to obtain lower-cost prescription medicines from Canada and other countries for their personal use.
“For years, our constituents who have struggled with high prescription drug prices have obtained their medicines from pharmacies outside the United States, especially from Canada,” the members wrote.
“We support CBP’s goal of using better data to identify and intercept high-risk shipments. However, we are concerned that the new process could be implemented in a manner that prevents personal-use prescription medicines from being shipped to the United States or results in their routine refusal, including medicines Americans have long obtained from licensed pharmacies abroad,” the members continued. “Greater visibility should instead improve the government’s ability to distinguish dangerous products from lower-risk prescription medicines and preserve appropriate enforcement discretion.”
“We urge HHS, FDA, DHS, and CBP to delay any implementation of new procedures with respect to prescription medicines unless you can provide clear assurances that your agencies will not prevent genuine prescription medicines clearly intended for personal use and not appearing to present an unreasonable risk from entering the United States,” the members added.
“Americans should not lose access to affordable medicines simply because the government has better information about packages entering the country. We urge your agencies to use that information to focus enforcement on where the risks are greatest while preserving appropriate access to safe and affordable medicines for personal use,” the members concluded.
A digital copy of the full letter can be found here.
The letter is endorsed by the Campaign for Personal Prescription Importation, Just Care USA, National Association of Letter Carriers, Prescription Justice, and Social Security Works.
The full list of signers (71): Mark Pocan (WI-02), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Becca Balint (VT-01), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Brendan Boyle (PA-02), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Janelle Bynum (OR-05), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), André Carson (IN-07), Greg Casar (TX-35), Judy Chu (CA-28), Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Sharice Davids (KA-03), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Diana DeGette (CO-01), Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Chris Deluzio (PA-17), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Lois Frankel (FL-22), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Chuy García (IL-04), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Adelita Grijalva (AZ-07), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Robin Kelly (IL-02), Timothy Kennedy (NY-26), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Greg Landsman (OH-01), Rick Larsen (WA-02), George Latimer (NY-16), Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03), Sam Liccardo (CA-16), Stephen Lynch (MA-08), John Mannion (NY-22), Doris Matsui (CA-07), Kristen McDonald Rivet (MI-08), Morgan McGarvey (KY-03), Jim McGovern (MA-02), Joe Morelle (NY-25), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-01), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Chris Pappas (NH-01), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Emily Randall (WA-06), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Brad Schneider (IL-10), Adam Smith (WA-09), Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), Thomas Suozzi (NY-03), Mark Takano (CA-39), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Paul Tonko (NY-20), James Walkinshaw (VA-11), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), and Frederica Wilson (FL-24)
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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