Drug debate threatens security spending

[brooklynite]

WASHINGTON - Republican congressional leaders struggled Wednesday to sidetrack legislation allowing prescription drugs to be imported from abroad, a pre-election controversy threatening to delay billion of dollars for homeland security.

But rank-and-file lawmakers, Republican and Democrat alike, pledged to push through the plan to let Americans buy cheaper drugs across borders after years of fruitless attempts.

...snip...

Republican leaders, eager to adjourn for elections with a flourish, have said they hope to quickly send President Bush a compromise $33.7 billion bill to fund the Homeland Security Department next year. The spending bill would bolster borders and rebuild the Federal Emergency Management Agency — high priority items — but also nearly halve the funds lawmakers approved earlier this year for security grants for ports.

Instead, wrangling dragged out Wednesday over the prescription drug spat and several other last-minute changes to the bill, including securing chemical facilities and roadblocks against illegal immigration.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060920/ap_on_go_co/security_spending_1

Well, it's not like they had been wasting their time with any frivolous issues...

[ck4829]

1. Why do we have to pay more to get medicine?

[NOLADEM]

2. Pharmaceutical company bribes to your reps have made it so

[rodeodance]

3. Republican congressional leaders: are the ones who do NOT want

to allow drugs from abroad.

[rodeodance]

4. "There are a lot of us who believe that importation of drugs is a security

they say so but not why!!




......"There are a lot of us who believe that importation of drugs is a security issue — it's an issue that is a threat to the health of Americans," said Rep. Eric Cantor (news, bio, voting record), R-Va., a member of the House leadership.

The White House has long supported the current ban on importing drugs, as have pharmaceutical companies that sell the medication at higher prices domestically. But both the House and Senate agreed to relax the ban in separate homeland security spending bills approved earlier this summer.

While importing drugs into the United States is illegal, the
Food and Drug Administration generally has not stopped small amounts of incoming medicine purchased for personal use. But U.S. Customs and Border Protection — an arm of the Homeland Security Department — began intercepting imported prescription drugs two years ago and has seized more than 34,000 packages of drugs coming into the country over the last year.

"There's a lot of people who have gone specifically to Canada to buy drugs, and they get them significantly cheaper than they do in this country," said Rep. Martin Sabo of Minnesota, top Democrat on the House panel that oversees homeland security spending.

[rodeodance]

6. how they link this with nat. sec. is beyond me!!

....."There's a lot of people who have gone specifically to Canada to buy drugs, and they get them significantly cheaper than they do in this country," said Rep. Martin Sabo of Minnesota, top Democrat on the House panel that oversees homeland security spending.

Overturning the ban has "lots of popular support," Sabo said.

Vitter said negotiators were trying to broker several compromises, including some stricter safety regulations, to break the impasse. "My main goal is simply to have some meaningful reimportation language in the bill, and I believe we have the votes to do that," he said.

[truthisfreedom]

5. this is great! rethug leaders weak on national security! SCREAM IT

FROM THE HILLTOPS!