Political Quotes

“I am pleased that the Senate will act today to combat the increasing problem of counterfeit pharmaceuticals. I thank Senators Grassley and Bennet, and the other cosponsors, along with the bipartisan sponsors of the House companion bill. This is important legislation to deter the influx of counterfeit medication. The bill will not only support the American economy and job creation by protecting American intellectual property, but it will protect the health and safety of American consumers. The illegal counterfeit pharmaceutical trade is a multi-billion dollar criminal industry. The Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies wrote in support of this legislation that ``criminals are drawn to counterfeit drugs because of the significantly higher profits in comparison to the very low risks and penalties.'' We cannot allow the counterfeiting of life-saving medicine to be just one more low-risk venture from which international organized criminals can profit. The Counterfeit Drug Penalty Enhancement Act raises the maximum sentences for trafficking in counterfeit pharmaceutical products and requires the United States Sentencing Commission to consider amending its guidelines to account for the harm to the public and need for an effective deterrent. We should not expect that enactment of this or any legislation will completely deter the serious problem of counterfeit medication entering the American supply chain, but it is an important step in the fight.…”