PHARMACEUTICAL ACT OF 2000
HON. RON PAUL
OF TEXAS
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Thursday, February 10, 2000
2000 Ron Paul 6:1
Mr. PAUL.
Mr. Speaker, I rise to introduce
the Pharmaceutical Freedom Act of 2000. This
legislation ensures that millions of Americans,
including seniors, have access to affordable
pharmaceutical products. My bill makes pharmaceuticals
more affordable to seniors by reducing
their taxes. It also removes needless
government barriers to importing pharmaceuticals
and it protects Internet pharmacies,
which are making affordable prescription drugs
available to millions of Americans, from being
strangled by federal regulation.
2000 Ron Paul 6:2
The first provision of my legislation provides
seniors a tax credit equal to 80 percent of
their prescription drug costs. As many of my
colleagues have pointed out, our nation’s seniors
are struggling to afford the prescription
drugs they need in order to maintain an active
and healthy lifestyle. Yet, the Federal Government
continues to impose taxes on Social Security
benefits and limits senior citizens’ ability
to earn additional income by reducing Social
Security benefits if a senior exceeds the
“earnings limitation.” Meanwhile, Congress
continually raids the Social Security trust fund
to finance unconstitutional programs! It is long
past time for Congress to choose between
helping seniors afford medicine or using the
Social Security trust fund as a slush fund for
big government and pork-barrel spending.
2000 Ron Paul 6:3
Mr. Speaker, I do wish to clarify that this tax
credit is intended to supplement the efforts to
reform and strengthen the Medicare system to
ensure seniors have the ability to use Medicare
funds to purchase prescription drugs. I
am a strong supporter of strengthening the
Medicare system to allow for more choice and
consumer control, including structural reforms
that will allow seniors to use Medicare funds
to cover the costs of prescription drugs.
2000 Ron Paul 6:4
In addition to making prescription medications
more affordable for seniors, my bill lowers
the price for prescription medicines by reducing
barriers to the importation of FDA-approved
pharmaceuticals. Under my bill, anyone
wishing to import a drug simply submits
an application to the FDA, which then must
approve the drug unless the FDA finds the
drug is either not approved for use in the U.S.
or is adulterated or misbranded. This process
will make safe and affordable imported medicines
affordable to millions of Americans. Mr.
Speaker, letting the free market work is the
best means of lowering the cost of prescription
drugs.
2000 Ron Paul 6:5
The Pharmaceutical Freedom Act also protects
consumers’ access to affordable prescription
drugs by forbidding the Federal Government
from regulating any Internet sales of
FDA-approved pharmaceuticals by state-licensed
pharmacists. As I am sure my colleagues
are aware, the Internet makes pharmaceuticals
and other products more affordable
and accessible for millions of Americans.
However, the Federal Government has threatened
to destroy this option by imposing unnecessary
and unconstitutional regulations on
web sites which sell pharmaceuticals. Any federal
regulations would inevitably drive up
prices of pharmaceuticals, thus depriving
many consumers of access to affordable prescription
medications.
2000 Ron Paul 6:6
In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues
to make pharmaceuticals more affordable
and accessible by lowering taxes on senior
citizens, removing barriers to the importation
of pharmaceuticals and protecting legitimate
Internet pharmacies from needless regulation
by cosponsoring the Pharmaceutical
Freedom Act of 2000.
