House votes to allow reimportation of U.S.-made drugs

Critics claim savings will be lost in loopholes

Democratic critics said the new legislation is riddled with loopholes and that the drug industry, which fought hard against the bill's passage, would find ways to block the cheaper drugs from coming back into the United States.

"There are so many loopholes in this bill, you could drive a truck through it," Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Connecticut, said during the House floor debate.

"There is now widespread agreement that this measure will do next to nothing for the American people," said House Democratic Leader Richard Gephardt, charging Republicans with "capitulation" to drug industry special interests.

Republicans, in turn, accused Democrats of "demagoguery" over a potent election-year political issue.

"As somebody who has worked for this language, I think it is good," said Georgia Republican Rep. Jack Kingston. "This is going to help ... by bringing in much-needed competition."

"Look at what people are paying for drugs in other countries," Rep. Gil Gutknecht, R-Minnesota, a staunch supporter of the measure, responded. "This bill may not be perfect but it's a step in the right direction."

Clinton expected to sign bill

The Senate is expected to pass the measure as early as Thursday, and the White House has said President Clinton will not veto the agriculture bill over the drug issue.

If the measure does become law, it would clear the way for the importation of U.S.-made -- and Food and Drug Administration approved -- drugs back into the United States by wholesalers and individuals.

Currently, only manufacturers can reimport prescription drugs.

The bill provides $23 million to the FDA to monitor the safety and quality of the re-imported drugs.

White House health care adviser Chris Jennings said the bill does not require drug makers to provide proper labeling or allow for the re-importation of name-brand drugs well-known to U.S. consumers. These provisions, Jennings said, will make it less likely that drug makers or wholesalers will actually re-import drugs at lower prices.

Food and medicine sanctions lifted on Cuba

The bill provides $78.5 billion in funding for farm and ranch programs, rural development and the FDA. It includes:

  •  $383 million to screen foods for various pathogens.

  •  $3.5 billion in "emergency" aid, $2.1 billion for farmers who suffered loses due to weather or plunging crop prices and another $1.1 billion to defray costs of fighting forest fires in the West this summer.

The agriculture spending bill would also lift sanctions, first imposed in 1962, prohibiting U.S. exports of food and medicine to Cuba.

Havana would be required to make cash payments or obtain credit from a third country or a foreign bank -- as opposed to using U.S. banks to finance purchases or obtain direct U.S. credits.

That language will make food and medicine purchases far more cumbersome, but still represents a small break in the U.S. embargo of Cuba.

On Friday, Clinton had criticized the provision on exports to Cuba for containing "unwarranted restrictions."

The bill also allows sales of food and medicine to Libya, North Korea, Iran and Sudan. All of the food trade provisions were pushed aggressively by the farm lobby.