ENZI REJECTS AMENDMENT TO DRUG SAFETY BILL THAT WOULD COMPROMISE DRUG SAFETY

Washington D.C. – U.S. Senator Mike Enzi, R-WY, Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (HELP Committee), today rejected an amendment to the drug safety bill that would reduce, rather than improve, drug safety by opening America’s borders to counterfeit and tainted prescription drugs. “Half of all Americans take at least one prescription drug daily, and we need to restore their faith in the ability of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ensure that the drugs they take are safe and effective,” Enzi said. “The Dorgan amendment to open our borders to drugs that have much higher risks runs counter to the purpose of this bill – enhancing drug safety.” “We all want affordable drugs. But a counterfeit or tainted drug is unsafe at any price. The Food and Drug Administration Revitalization Act is about restoring the trust of the American people in the FDA, where it belongs. Throwing our borders open to drug importation would instead falsely place that trust in criminals trafficking in illegal pharmaceuticals.” Enzi said the Dorgan Amendment to S. 1082 would open America’s borders to drugs manufactured in or imported from other countries around the world. It does not establish sufficient mechanisms to ensure that these drugs are safe and beneficial, and it puts Americans at a much greater risk of taking counterfeit or tainted drugs. “I am committed to working with my colleagues to find innovative ways to reduce the costs of prescription drugs without compromising the health and well-being of Americans,” Enzi said. “This amendment, however, will put patient lives at risk, and that is a compromise I am unwilling to make. I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment.” ####