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Congressional Record—Senate S3862

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Congressional Record—Senate S3862 S3862 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE June 14, 2016 sexually transmitted infections (STIs), in their remaining years, and urging generic drugs and biosimilar biological including HIV, and the prevention of the Federal Republic of Germany to re- products; to the Committee on the Ju- dating violence and sexual assault, and affirm its commitment to that goal diciary. for other purposes. through a financial commitment to Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, in recent S. 2800 comprehensively address the unique months, the high cost of pharma- At the request of Mr. COONS, the health and welfare needs of vulnerable ceutical products has been front and name of the Senator from Georgia (Mr. Holocaust victims, including home center in national news, sometimes ISAKSON) was added as a cosponsor of S. care and other medically prescribed with astonishing examples like the un- 2800, a bill to amend the Internal Rev- needs. conscionable price-hike by Turing enue Code of 1986 and the Higher Edu- S. RES. 349 Pharmaceuticals of their drug for pa- cation Act of 1965 to provide an exclu- At the request of Mr. ROBERTS, the tients with HIV from $13.50 to $750 per sion from income for student loan for- names of the Senator from Kentucky pill overnight. giveness for students who have died or (Mr. MCCONNELL) and the Senator from Pharmaceutical companies should be become disabled. Montana (Mr. DAINES) were added as compensated for their important work cosponsors of S. Res. 349, a resolution developing life-saving treatments, but S. 2856 congratulating the Farm Credit Sys- when companies engage in predatory At the request of Mr. CORNYN, the tem on the celebration of its 100th an- practices at the expense of consumers, name of the Senator from Texas (Mr. niversary. we must act. That is why today, I am CRUZ) was added as a cosponsor of S. introducing the Creating and Restoring 2856, a bill to streamline certain feasi- S. RES. 482 Equal Access to Equivalent Samples, bility studies and avoid duplication of At the request of Mrs. SHAHEEN, the names of the Senator from Oregon (Mr. CREATES, Act, bipartisan legislation effort. WYDEN) and the Senator from Mary- to end inappropriate delay tactics that S. 2904 land (Mr. CARDIN) were added as co- are used by some brand-name drug At the request of Mr. WHITEHOUSE, sponsors of S. Res. 482, a resolution manufacturers to block competition the name of the Senator from Montana urging the European Union to des- from more affordable generic drugs. (Mr. TESTER) was added as a cosponsor ignate Hizballah in its entirety as a The first delay tactic addressed by of S. 2904, a bill to amend title II of the terrorist organization and to increase the CREATES Act involves the with- Social Security Act to eliminate the pressure on the organization and its holding of drug samples that generic five month waiting period for dis- members to the fullest extent possible. manufacturers need to gain regulatory ability insurance benefits under such At the request of Mr. RUBIO, the approval. Federal law requires generic title for individuals with amyotrophic name of the Senator from Texas (Mr. competitors to prove that their low- lateral sclerosis. CRUZ) was added as a cosponsor of S. cost alternative is equally safe and ef- S. 2912 Res. 482, supra. fective as the brand-name drug with At the request of Mr. JOHNSON, the S. RES. 483 which they wish to compete. Unfortu- name of the Senator from Alaska (Mr. At the request of Mr. ALEXANDER, the nately, some brand-name companies SULLIVAN) was added as a cosponsor of name of the Senator from California are preventing generic manufacturers S. 2912, a bill to authorize the use of (Mrs. FEINSTEIN) was added as a co- from obtaining the samples they need unapproved medical products by pa- sponsor of S. Res. 483, a resolution des- to make the necessary comparison. tients diagnosed with a terminal ill- ignating June 20, 2016, as ‘‘American This simple delay tactic uses regu- ness in accordance with State law, and Eagle Day’’ and celebrating the recov- latory safeguards as a weapon to block for other purposes. ery and restoration of the bald eagle, competition. The FDA has reported re- S. 2997 the national symbol of the United ceiving more than 100 inquiries from At the request of Ms. CANTWELL, the States. generic product developers who were name of the Senator from Florida (Mr. AMENDMENT NO. 4629 unable to access samples of a brand- NELSON) was added as a cosponsor of S. At the request of Mr. RUBIO, the name drug to compare their generic 2997, a bill to direct the Federal Com- name of the Senator from Louisiana product. munications Commission to commence (Mr. CASSIDY) was added as a cosponsor The second delay tactic addressed by proceedings related to the resiliency of of amendment No. 4629 intended to be the CREATES Act involves the devel- critical telecommunications networks proposed to S. 2943, an original bill to opment of shared safety protocols. For during times of emergency, and for authorize appropriations for fiscal year some high-risk drugs, federal law re- other purposes. 2017 for military activities of the De- quires a generic drug manufacturer to join the brand-name drug manufac- S. 3018 partment of Defense, for military con- struction, and for defense activities of turer in a single, shared safety protocol At the request of Mr. KING, the name the Department of Energy, to prescribe for distribution of the drug. Despite of the Senator from Maryland (Ms. MI- military personnel strengths for such this requirement, some brand-name KULSKI) was added as a cosponsor of S. companies are refusing to negotiate a 3018, a bill to provide for the establish- fiscal year, and for other purposes. shared safety protocol with potential ment of a pilot program to identify se- AMENDMENT NO. 4649 generic competitors, again under- curity vulnerabilities of certain enti- At the request of Mr. KIRK, the name mining those competitors’ ability to ties in the energy sector. of the Senator from Idaho (Mr. RISCH) was added as a cosponsor of amend- gain FDA approval for their generic S. 3053 ment No. 4649 intended to be proposed version of the drug. At the request of Mr. CASEY, the to S. 2943, an original bill to authorize These exclusionary practices thwart name of the Senator from Rhode Island appropriations for fiscal year 2017 for competition and deny consumers the (Mr. WHITEHOUSE) was added as a co- military activities of the Department benefit of lower drug prices. They also sponsor of S. 3053, a bill to prevent a of Defense, for military construction, undermine the careful balance created person who has been convicted of a and for defense activities of the De- in the Hatch-Waxman Act and the misdemeanor hate crime, or received partment of Energy, to prescribe mili- more recent Biologics Price Competi- an enhanced sentence for a mis- tary personnel strengths for such fiscal tion and Innovation Act, which are de- demeanor because of hate or bias in its year, and for other purposes. signed to reward and incentivize inno- commission, from obtaining a firearm. f vation while ensuring that consumers S. CON. RES. 36 ultimately benefit from the entry, At the request of Mr. NELSON, the STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED after an appropriate time, of generic or name of the Senator from New Jersey BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS biosimilar versions of a drug. Innova- (Mr. MENENDEZ) was added as a cospon- By Mr. LEAHY (for himself, Mr. tive companies can and should gain the sor of S. Con. Res. 36, a concurrent res- GRASSLEY, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, and benefit of their inventions. But when olution expressing support of the goal Mr. LEE): companies artificially extend the pe- of ensuring that all Holocaust victims S. 3056. A bill to provide for certain riod of those benefits by using dilatory live with dignity, comfort, and security causes of action relating to delays of tactics to delay generic entry, the VerDate Sep 11 2014 06:02 Jun 15, 2016 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00030 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A14JN6.032 S14JNPT1 smartinez on DSK3GLQ082PROD with SENATE June 14, 2016 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S3863 thoughtful balance of the Hatch-Wax- COLLINS, Mr. COONS, Mr. CORKER, Mr. for Senator Voinovich by the naming of nu- man Act and BPCIA are plainly under- CORNYN, Mr. COTTON, Mr. CRAPO, Mr. merous landmarks after him, including mined. CRUZ, Mr. DAINES, Mr. DONNELLY, Mr. Voinovich Centennial Park, the Voinovich Innerbelt Bridge, and The George V. Voino- I share the concerns of Vermonters DURBIN, Mr. ENZI, Mrs. ERNST, Mrs. vich School of Leadership and Public Affairs FEINSTEIN, Mrs. FISCHER, Mr. FLAKE, and Americans across the country that at Ohio University; many pharmaceutical products are Mr. FRANKEN, Mr. GARDNER, Mrs. Whereas, in his two terms in the United simply too expensive for consumers. GILLIBRAND, Mr. GRAHAM, Mr. GRASS- States Senate and in his other public service, Nearly 3⁄4 of the public view prescrip- LEY, Mr. HATCH, Mr. HEINRICH, Ms. George Voinovich reached across the aisle tion drug costs as unreasonable, and HEITKAMP, Mr. HELLER, Ms. HIRONO, and sought common ground to solve prob- one in four patients say they have not Mr. HOEVEN, Mr. INHOFE, Mr. ISAKSON, lems: Now, therefore, be it filled a prescription because of cost. Mr. JOHNSON, Mr. KAINE, Mr. KING, Mr. Resolved, That the Senate has heard with Parents should not be forced to choose KIRK, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mr. LANKFORD, profound sorrow and deep regret the an- Mr. LEAHY, Mr. LEE, Mr. MANCHIN, Mr. nouncement of the death of George Voino- between putting food on the table and vich, former member of the United States MARKEY, Mr.
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