HELP Committee Chair Says Senate Has the Votes to Pass Rx Importation Bill

Momentum is building on Capitol Hill for legalizing the importation of pharmaceuticals into the U.S., says the head of the Senate health panel that would shepherd through any authorizing legislation.

There are now more than 60 senators ready to vote for a drug importation bill, said Sen. Michael Enzi (R-Wyo.), chairman of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee. "I've got to tell you, we're beyond whether to do it or not. It will be done," Enzi told the Food and Drug Law Institute's annual conference.

This is because 60 senators can break any filibuster or point of order by opponents seeking to block the legislation, he noted. "It means it can be done against all protocols in the Senate," said Enzi. As chairman of the HELP committee, Enzi said he is examining options to try and create an environment in which drugs can be imported without compromising the integrity of the nation's commercial drug system.

The HELP committee staff recently confirmed that Enzi intends in the near term to address specific importation proposals, including Sen. Byron Dorgan's (D-N.D.) bipartisan Pharmaceutical Market Access and Drug Safety Act, S. 334.

In addition, Enzi recently sponsored a budget amendment that would establish a reserve fund for legislation permitting safe Rx importation. That amendment was passed by a voice vote. The amendment forces any importation bill to go through the HELP committee, which gives the committee a chance to work on all of the issues, Enzi said.