Patrick Leahy: “last November, the Drug Competition Act passed the Senate by unanimous consent. This morning, I am proud to join Senator…”

“last November, the Drug Competition Act passed the Senate by unanimous consent. This morning, I am proud to join Senator Grassley, along with Senators Durbin, Feingold, Kohl and Schumer in re-introducing this important bill, I hope that in this Congress it is actually enacted into law. Prescription drug prices are rapidly increasing, and are a source of considerable concern to many Americans, especially senior citizens and families. Generic drug prices can be as much as 80 percent lower than the comparable brand name version. While the Drug Competition Act is small in terms of length, it is large in terms of impact. It will ensure that law enforcement agencies can take quick and decisive action against companies that are driven more by greed than by good sense. It gives the Federal Trade Commission and the Justice Department access to information about secret deals between drug companies that keep generic drugs off the market. This is a practice that hurts American families, particularly senior citizens, by denying them access to low-cost generic drugs, and further inflating medical costs.”