Jack Kingston: “I stand in support of the Gutknecht amendment, and I think there are two reasons we should focus on this. Number one is…”

“I stand in support of the Gutknecht amendment, and I think there are two reasons we should focus on this. Number one is cost, and number two is safety. I have to ask Members, 435 Members, how many have heard the story from a senior citizen about someone in El Paso, Texas, or Detroit, Michigan, or some other border city, who has to take Lipitor or some other prescription drug on a regular basis, and they go to the neighborhood pharmacy and it is $60; but they can go over the border and get the exact same drug made by the exact same American pharmaceutical company, exact same dosage, same box, for $20? Now, we all, if we have been doing our homework on prescription drugs, have heard that story. And that is what we are talking about. We are talking about letting our constituents, not just seniors, but young mothers and families, save lots of money. Just listen again to the differences in these prices. Allegra, in U.S. dollars, $69; in Europe, $20. Lipitor, in America, $52; in Europe, $41. Premarin, $17 in America; $9.90 in Europe. Prozac, $71 in America; $44 in Europe. These are real dollars. This is not just like the difference in gasoline, as you drive from town to town and State to State. But we have to ask ourselves, if we allow more competition, will it not bring down the prices? Certainly it will. Do our constituents deserve this? Absolutely they do.”