Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I rise in opposition to the McCain amendment No. 2107, which would facilitate the importation of prescription drugs from Canada. We are not talking about bus trips of seniors to reputable brick-and-mortar pharmacies right across the border. We are talking Canadian Internet pharmacies, which may not even be in Canada, which pose a significant threat to American patient safety. This amendment would require the Food and Drug Administration to allow individuals to import prescription drugs into the United States from Canada, notwithstanding any other provision of the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act. Drugs that supposedly come from Canada can originate in any country in the world, and merely be shipped to the United States from Canada. Canadian law does not prohibit the shipment of drugs from any country into Canada and then into the United States. They do not care. In 2005, FDA conducted an investigation of drugs that American patients thought they were ordering from Canada. Eighty-five percent of the drugs represented as coming from Canada actually came from 27 other countries. A number of drugs were found to be counterfeit. A letter from Assistant Deputy Minister of Health, Canada, to the U.S. Surgeon General again said that Canada does not assure that products being sold to U.S. citizens are safe, effective, and of high quality, and does not intend to do so in the future. The pending amendment would allow importation from Canadian Internet pharmacies.…”