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NEWS

FROM CONGRESSMAN JACK KINGSTON
FIRST DISTRICT, GEORGIA

1034 LONGWORTH HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20515
202-225-5831

Committee on Appropriations

For Immediate Release
October 6, 2000

KINGSTON IN NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT ON RX DRUGS ISSUE

GA Congressman was one of a handful to drive the issue to legislative victory

WASHINGTON, D.C. - After one of the more intense legislative struggles this year, House and Senate budget negotiators agreed on a plan to allow legal importation of prescription drugs into the United States. Congressman Jack Kingston (R-Ga-1) was one of the handful who helped lead and drive the issue to legislative victory. The measure has become part of the final version of the annual agriculture funding bill, which is expected to pass in the House and Senate next week [between October 10-13] before going to the president for his signature. Kingston was one of the conferees who helped write the final version of the bill.

“This was one of my legislative goals and the bottom line is that prescription drugs will cost less,” said Congressman Kingston. “It’s a significant step to allowing our Georgia seniors and families access to lower cost prescription drugs. We need to allow our citizens the option of buying prescription drugs from Mexico, Canada, or wherever, including the Internet. The bill also does everything it can to make sure the drugs are safe. It would mean that senior citizens in Darien or Rincon or Nahunta or anywhere in southeast Georgia or America could purchase their prescription drugs over the Internet and save 20 or 30% or more. It puts much-needed competition out there. When people can buy Zocor for 40% less in Mexico than they can in America, it is not fair to make it illegal for them to do so,” Kingston stated.

For many months Kingston has led the charge to get the government off the backs of those who bought cheaper prescription drugs in other countries. The major breakthrough came in a highly intense meeting October 4^thwhere Kingston was asked by Speaker Denny Hastert to participate in negotiations along with him, Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott and a few other House and Senate Members in the forefront. Kingston was able to work out his concerns, and was surrounded by a slew of reporters afterwards. A national Reuters wire story quoted Kingston and acknowledged his leadership: “‘We want to bring down the costs of prescription drugs in America,’ said Georgia Republican Rep. Jack Kingston, who played a leading role in crafting the agreement. ‘I think choosing between Pfizer and my grandmother is an easy choice.’”

“The objective of all this is to make prescription drugs more affordable,” Kingston continued, “and the best way to do that is through competition. This brings another element of competition; it’s one more option for the local pharmacist to buy wholesale overseas, and one more for the individual to buy individually,” said Kingston.

In conclusion Kingston said, “Although I have strongly supported a prescription drug plan for Medicare, since that’s not going to be passed this year, this is something we’ve done that can help immediately with the high cost of medicine.”

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