Joe Crowley: “I have a constituent in Queens, New York, who pays $409 for a 3-month supply of Prilosec for his wife. The same drug…”

“I have a constituent in Queens, New York, who pays $409 for a 3-month supply of Prilosec for his wife. The same drug, the same dosage, same everything, would cost him $184 in Canada. But it is illegal for him to purchase this medication in Canada and reimport it back into the U.S. The only crime I see here is the high prices being charged by drug companies. They are truly gouging Americans. Therefore, I am working with a number of my colleagues to allow individuals, pharmacists, and wholesalers to reimport prescription drugs back into the U.S. and pass the tremendous savings on to all Americans. The GOP Congress will not pass a Prescription Drug Fairness for Seniors Act. The GOP Congress will not pass a prescription drug benefit under Medicare. Well, now I challenge this Congress to allow for the safe reimportation of FDA-approved drugs for Americans. It would lower drug costs by 50 percent overnight without costing the Government of this country one single dime. Let me say this to America: The drug companies oppose this plan, this bill. Therefore, we all know it must be good for America.”