pharmaceutical products to wholesalers or retailers on the same terms as the most favorable terms the drug makers offer Canada. [S 1, Vote 235, 6/24/03] XXXX Voted Against Bill Allowing Drug-Importation. In June 2003, XXXX voted against a bill that to allowed U.S. pharmacists to import drugs from Canada and resell them to American consumers. The plan, which passed the Senate 62-28 over objections from the Bush Administration, created a one-year test program for importation. [Vote 232, 6/20/03] XXXX Voted Against Allowing Reimporting Safe Rx Drugs From Canada. In 2002, XXXX voted against a bill to “change patent laws to make it more difficult for brand-name drug manufacturers to obstruct competition from lower-priced generic medicines. The bill also would allow U.S.-made drugs to be imported back from Canada, where the government controls drug prices.” More specifically, this bill would allow for a single 30-month stay against Food and Drug Administration approval of a generic drug patent when a brand-name company’s patent is challenged. It would authorize the secretary of Health and Human Services to promulgate regulations permitting pharmacists and wholesalers to import prescription drugs from Canada into the United States, and it would allow individuals to import prescription drugs from Canada if the medication is for personal use and is less than a 90-day supply. [S 812, Vote 201, 7/31/02; The Washington Post, 08/01/02] XXXX Voted Against Certifying that Imported Drugs are Safe. In 2002, XXXX voted against an amendment to codify state authority to set up programs designed to force pharmaceutical companies to discount drug prices for Medicaid patients and other groups. This was an amendment “to remove legal obstacles for states that want to extend Medicaid drug discounts to low-income residents who aren’t eligible for the government insurance program for the poor.” [S 812, Vote 182, 7/18/02; Bloomberg News, 07/18/02] XXXX Voted to Certify that Imported Drugs are Safe. In 2002, XXXX voted for an amendment requiring the secretary of Health and Human Services to certify to Congress that the implementation of the provisions pose no risk to the public's health and safety and would result in a significant cost reduction of prescription drugs for consumers before the provisions of the Dorgan amendment can go into effect. The original amendment would authorize the secretary of Health and Human Services to promulgate regulations permitting pharmacists and wholesalers to import prescription drugs from Canada. It also would require Canadian pharmacies and wholesalers that provide drugs for importation to register with HHS and allow individuals to import prescription drugs from Canada if the medication is for personal use and is less than a 90-day supply. [S 812, Vote 180, 7/17/02] XXXX Voted Against Allowing the Importation of Drugs from Canada. In 2002, XXXX voted against an amendment that would authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to promulgate regulations permitting pharmacists and wholesalers to import prescription drugs from Canada into the United States. It also would provide for an import suspension of any covered products found to be counterfeit or in violation of current law. It would require Canadian pharmacies and wholesalers that provide drugs for importation to register with HHS and allow individuals to import prescription drugs from Canada if the medication is for personal use and is less than a 90-day supply. The underlying Dorgan amendment would authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to promulgate regulations permitting pharmacists and wholesalers to import prescription drugs from Canada into the United States. It also would require Canadian pharmacies and wholesalers that provide drugs for importation to register with HHS and allow individuals to import prescription drugs from Canada if the medication is for personal use and is less than a 90-day supply. [S 812, Vote 179, 7/17/02] Rx PRICE NEGOTIATION XXXX Voted Against Allowing Medicare to Negotiate Lower Drug Prices. In April 2007, XXXX voted against a bill that would have allowed – not required – Medicare to negotiate with drug companies. Republicans argued that the bill would be a step towards government run healthcare while the AARP, a lobby for older people, supported the measure. The proposal would have stricken language in the 2003 Medicare Modernization Act that prohibits the HHS Secretary from participating in price negotiations for the drug benefit. [Vote 132, 4/18/07; Los Angeles Times, 4/19/07; New York Times, 4/19/07] 173