The complaint I hear most often from seniors is how difficult it is to pay for prescription drugs. It is getting harder and harder for Americans, especially seniors, to afford the medicines prescribed by their doctors. In 1999, Tennessee led the nation in the number of prescriptions per patient per year. Something must be done.

That is why I have decided to cosponsor H.R. 5311, the Prescription Drug Affordability Act. This bill is designed to speed generic drugs to the marketplace by eliminating many of the "loopholes" that brand name drug manufacturers use to keep generic drugs off the market. For instance, the bill ends the practice of brand name drug manufacturers paying generic drug firms not to bring new generic drugs to market. The Prescription Drug Affordability Act will make less-expensive generic drugs more widely available, enhance competition and lower overall prices in the drug market.

Americans should also have access to less expensive prescription drugs from other countries. While seniors in the United States are struggling to pay for medicine, those in other countries are paying 30 to 70 percent less for the same drugs. This is not fair. I support drug reimportation legislation that would allow individuals not in the business of importing prescription drugs to import FDA-approved drugs from the European Union and Canada. This does not apply to controlled substances, including narcotics. I also support maintaining all current FDA rules regarding labeling and packaging for safety purposes.

I look forward to working toward common sense solutions to meet the prescription drug needs of all Americans while maintaining the stringent safety standards that we have in the United States.