Marcy Kaptur: “Mr. Chairman, we have witnessed a great debate today about the importation and reimportation of prescription drugs.…”

“Mr. Chairman, we have witnessed a great debate today about the importation and reimportation of prescription drugs. Yesterday Secretary Thompson finally rendered his decision regarding the fate of the reimportation provision attached to the fiscal year 2001 agriculture appropriation bill. My amendment takes the $2.95 million designated in this bill for costs associated with the reimportation provision and would transfer the funds back to the Food and Drug Administration general account. Clearly, in the wake of the Secretary's decision, the Agency no longer needs the funds for the purposes of reimportation, and my amendment would simply keep those funds within the Agency so they are not penalized to be used for program priorities at the Agency's discretion within such accounts as the prevention of BSE, TSE, mad cow disease and hoof and mouth disease, many of the challenges that are facing our country today. Given its tremendous responsibilities and challenges, FDA needs every resource available to keep our food and drug supply safe. I encourage the membership to vote yes to keep these funds within the Agency.”