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Possible Prescription Drug Importation Amendments Are Not the Solution to Reducing Prices

The Senate is expected to soon vote on S.Con.Res.3, a budget resolution providing for repeal of Obamacare. This “repeal resolution” is step one in undoing the legacy of broken promises under the Barack Obama presidency which have led to higher healthcare costs, cancelled plans, lost doctors, and more than one trillion ($1,000,000,000,000) in tax increases which hit American families and small businesses.

This is a huge win for taxpayers, and should be supported by all Senators. During consideration of the repeal resolution, it is expected that Senators will also offer a number of amendments during consideration of the repeal resolution with the aim of distracting and delaying the process. One example of this is a series of introduced amendments that call for the importation of market distorting price controls on prescription medicines.

Members of the Senate should vote “no” on any importation amendments – and many of the other amendments expected to be offered during consideration of the repeal resolution. The purpose of this budget resolution is to allow for an expedited process to repeal Obamacare through budget reconciliation. More time wasted on amendments threatens the entire process of repealing Obamacare.

Importation schemes are not the solution to lower prices or a more efficient healthcare system. Instead, they would disrupt the system of medical innovation and increase long-term costs through the domino effect of fewer life-saving and life-preserving medicines. These amendments are simply an attempt by some Senators to play political games by proposing a seemingly free market way to reduce prescription drug prices.

The truth is, allowing importation of prescription medicines is not pro-free trade. Almost every other country in the world has excessive price controls on medical innovation. Prices are not determined by the free market but by politicians offering voters seemingly cheap medicines. In turn, allowing importation of a drug also means for the importation of the price controls.

This is the opposite of free trade. Free trade means transparent prices with no tariffs, barriers, or price controls. The U.S. is one of the few countries that allow drug prices to be (mostly) set by the free market, and is also a leader in medical innovation. Reversing this trend by allowing ill-thought out importation policies will hurt American innovators which pour billions of dollars each year into creating new innovative medicines that result in substantial long-term savings for our healthcare system.

The Senate will soon vote on a repeal resolution that will lead to a giant tax cut for American families and small businesses. This is a huge win.

Members should not dilute or threaten this win by passing amendments that slow or endanger the process, especially those that promote dangerous, anti-free market policies like importation of price controls on prescription medicines.