This bill gives the last word to the Bush administration and the head of the FDA who have said categorically they are opposed to reimportation. The reason they are opposed is that it would be more competition for pharmaceutical companies that want to charge higher prices in the United States. I have believed all along that we are not importing drugs from Canada, we are importing leadership from Canada. The Canadian Government has stood up for its citizens and said: We are not going to allow the drug companies to raise their prices every single year. This Government, this Congress, refuses to show the same leadership, and now is effectively blocking the reimportation of drugs that seniors need to survive.
On the recordNovember 22, 2003
Source
govinfo.govEditor's note · Context
Discussing the opposition to drug reimportation during a Senate debate.
Share
More from Dick Durbin
Aug 18, 2026
I’m glad these borrowers, after years and years of waiting, will finally get the relief they’re entitled to.
Aug 21, 2026
Today’s news is devastating for the 2,500 skilled union workers impacted by the closure of the Tyson plant in Joslin, especially at a time when American families are struggling with the rising cost of living.
Aug 24, 2026
The lawmakers also emphasized that the Trump Administration’s definition of medical frailty far exceeds what is outlined in the law itself and creates additional onerous barriers for both patients and states.
Aug 18, 2026
It was the largest class action settlement against the federal government in the history of our nation.





