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SUBJECT TO ENHANCED PENALTIES.
I URGE MY COLLEAGUES TO SUPPORT
THIS LEGISLATION, AGAIN ITS
BICAMERAL LEGISLATION, AND I
RESERVE THE BALANCE OF MY TIME.
THE
OF HIS TIME.
THE GENTLEWOMAN FROM CALIFORNIA.
MR. SPEAKER, I YIELD
MYSELF AS MUCH TIME AS I MAY
THE
GENTLEWOMAN IS RECOGNIZED.
MR. SPEAKER, H.R. 3668,
THE COUNTERFEIT DRUG PENALTY
ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 2012, WOULD
INCREASE THE MAXIMUM CRIMINAL
PENALTIES FOR TRAFFICKING IN
COUNTERFEIT DRUGS ARE A SERIOUS
PUBLIC THREAT TO ALL AMERICANS
FOR SEVERAL REASONS TO.
BEGIN WITH, A PERSON WHO
UNKNOWINGLY CONSUMES A COUSHT
FIT MEDICATION MAY BE HARMED BY
DANGEROUS BUT UNDISCLOSED
SUBSTANCES IN THE DRUG.
AS A FOOD AND DRUG
ADMINISTRATION REPRESENTATIVE
TESTIFIED AT A HEARING BEFORE
THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE'S CRIME
SUBCOMMITTEE, A COUNTERFEIT DRUG
COULD BE USED MAKING INGREDIENTS
THAT ARE TOXIC TO PATIENTS AND
PROCESSED UNPOORLY CONTROLLED
AND UNSANITARY CONDITIONS.
ALSO, AN INDIVIDUAL WHO CONSUMES
A COUNTERFEIT DRUG IS DEPRIVED
OF MEANINGFUL TREATMENT THAT CAN
RESPOND TO LIFE-THREATENING
CONSIDER, FOR EXAMPLE, A PATIENT
SUFFERING FROM A HEART AILMENT
OR A CHILD WHO IS DESPERATELY
FIGHTING AN AGGRESSIVE
RIFE-THRETENING INFECTION.
THE CONSEQUENCES OF EITHER
COUNTERFEIT DRUG ARE BLATANTLY
OBVIOUS.
BY RECEIVING THESE COUNTERFEIT
DRUGS INSTEAD OF THE REAL
MEDICATIONS THAT THEY REQUIRE,
EACH OF THESE INDIVIDUALS WILL
BE DENIED RECEIVING THE
EFFECTIVE TREATMENT THAT THEY
TO ADDRESS THEIR ILLNESSES.
FINALLY THE PROLIFERATION OF
COUNTERFEIT DRUGS POSES A GRAVE
NATIONWIDE RISK TO THE PUBLIC
HEALTH AND SAFETY OF ALL OUR
CITIZENS.
DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS PRESENT
THE REAL DANGE THAT ARE A VERY
LARGE QUANTITY OF THESE
COUNTERFEIT DRUGS COULD ENTER
INTO THE MARKETPLACE WHERE THEY
CAN INJURE AND POSSIBLY RISK THE
LIVES OF MANY AMERICANS BEFORE
THEY ARE EVEN DETECTED.
THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION
IS WORKING WITH MEDICAL PRODUCT
SUPPLY CHAIN STAKE HOLDERS TO
RESPOND TO THIS EMERGING THREAT.
BUT WE NEED TO DO MORE.
IT IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT FOR
US TO REINFORCE OUR CRIMINAL LAW
SO THAT IT CLEARLY ADDRESSES THE
NATIONAL MENACE PRESENTED BY
TRAFFICKING IN COUNTERFEIT
UNDER CURRENT LAW, TRAFFICKING
AND COUNTERFEIT DRUGS RECEIVES
THE SAME CRIMINAL PENALTY AS
TRAFFICKING IN OTHER LESS
DANGEROUS ITEMS.
THIS SHORTCOMING IN CURRENT LAW
EXPLAINS WHILE THE U.S.
INTELLECTUAL COORDINATOR
SUPPORTS THIS AS STATED IN HER
CONGRESS.
THIS BILL NOT ONLY APPROPRIATELY
RECOGNIZES THE NEED TO TREAT
CRIMES INVOLVING COUNTERFEIT
MEDICATIONS MORE SERIOUSLY, BUT
ALSO REQUIRES THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT TO PRIORITIZE ITS
INVESTIGATETORY AND
PROSECUTORIAL EFFORTS WITH
RESPECT TO THESE CRIMES.
I'M PARTICULARLY PLEASED THAT
DURING A JUDICIARYARY
COMMITTEE'S MARKUP OF THE BILL,
AN AMENDMENT OFFERED BY MY
COLLEAGUE, CONGRESSMAN BOBBY
SCOTT, WAS ADOPTED THAT WOULD
DIRECT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO
GIVE INCREASED PRIORITIES TO
EFFORTS TO INVESTIGATE AND
PROSECUTE THESE OFFENSES.
AS AMENDED, THIS MEASURE
APPROPRIATELY RECOGNIZES THAT
WHILE PENALTY INCREASES MAY BE
WARRANTED, EFFECTIVE DETERRENCE
DEPENDS MOSTLY ON THE LIKELIHOOD
OF APPREHENSION AND CONVICTION
OF OFFENDERS.
I COMMEND THE EFFORTS OF MY
COLLEAGUES, CONGRESSMAN PATRICK
MEEHAN, AND CONGRESSWOMAN LINDSA
SANCHEZ, FOR INTRODUCING THIS
IMPORTANT LEGISLATION.
I URGE MY COLLEAGUES TO SUPPORT
H.R. 3668 AND I RESERVE THE
BALANCE OF MY TIME.
JORT.
THE GENTLEMAN FROM TEXAS.
MR. SPEAKER, I YIELD
AS MUCH TIME AS HE MAY CONSUME
TO THE GENTLEMAN FROM
PENNSYLVANIA, MR. MEEHAN, WHO IS
THE SPONSOR OF THIS LEGISLATION.
THE
GENTLEMAN FROM PENNSYLVANIA.
CHAIRMAN.
MR. CHAIRMAN, I RISE IN -- MR.
SPEAKER, I RISE TODAY IN SUPPORT
DRUG PENALTY ENHANCEMENT ACT.
I WANT TO THANK THE
DISTINGUISHED GENTLEMAN FROM
TEXAS FOR HIS LEADERSHIP ON THIS
ISSUE, ON THE JUDICIARY
COMMITTEE, AND I ALSO WANT TO
THANK MY COLLEAGUES FROM THE
RISE IN A TRULY BIPARTISAN,
BICAMERAL FASHION, IN WORKING
FOR THE PASSAGE OF THIS VERY
IMPORTANT LEGISLATION SO I
THE GENTLELADY FROM CALIFORNIA
IN SUPPORT OF THIS BILL AS WELL.
LIKE SO MANY OTHER HEALTH CARE
COSTS, PRESCRIPTION DRUGS ARE
EXPENSIVE AND THE COST IS
RISING.
SO WHAT WE ARE BEGINNING TO SEE
INCREASINGLY IS PEOPLE GOING
THOSE DRUGS.
IT'S AN ISSUE THAT I SAW
FIRSTHAND AS A FEDERAL
PROSECUTOR WHO BEGAN TO WORK ON
THE PROLIFERATION OF ILLEGAL
DRUG SALES OVER THE INTERNET.
OFTEN TIMES THE PEOPLE WHO
APPROACH -- WHO ARE PURCHASING
THESE ARE SENIOR CITIZENS.
ONLINE THERE'S NOT THE KINDS OF
PROTECTIONS THAT WOULD EXIST
TRADITIONALLY AS THERE ARE IN A
PHARMACY SETTING WHERE NOT ONLY
DO YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO HAVE
THE ADVICE OF A PHARMACIST BUT
THE CERTAINTY OF THE CHAIN OF
DRUGS THAT HAVE BEEN TRAVELING
IN COMMERCE.
WHAT WE'RE FINDING IS, OF THE
ILLEGAL DRUGS, CLOSE TO 90% OF
THOSE THAT ARE SOLD ILLEGALLY
SOLD ONLINE.
WE'RE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT
MISLABELED PILLS HERE.
THE FAKES COULD ACTUALLY CONTAIN
NO ACTIVE INGREDIENTS, THE WRONG
CONTAMINANT.
THE COUNTERFEIT MEDICINES POSE A
THREAT BECAUSE THE CONDITIONS
UNDER WHICH THEY ARE
MANUFACTURED OFTEN IN UNREGULAR
LATED LOCATIONS AND FREQUENTLY
UNDER UNSANITARY CONDITIONS.
IN MANY INSTANCES THEY CONTAIN
NONE OF THE ACTIVE
PHARMACEUTICAL INGREDIENTS FOUND
IN THE AUTHENTIC MEDICINE.
OR ARE INCORRECT DOSAGES.
OTHERS MACON DANE TOXIC
INGREDIENTS SUCH AS HEAVY
METALS, ARSENIC, PESTICIDES, RAT
POISON, BRICK DUST, FLOOR WAX
AND EVEN LEADED HIGHWAY PAINT.
IN THE WORST CASE SCENARIO, THE
MEDICINE ITSELF IS A FAKE AND
THE RESULT OF THE COUNTERFEIT
SALE IS HARM TO THE PATIENT'S
HEALTH AND SAFETY.
AND WHILE ALL TIMES OF DRUGS ARE
COUNTERFEITED, WHAT'S OF
PARTICULAR CONCERN TO ME IS THE
ELICIT MARKET IN SIGNIFICANT
DRUGS, CANCER DRUGS, A.D.H.
DRUGS AND PAIN TREATMENTS.
THIS IS AN ECONOMIC HARM.
ESTIMATES ARE THAT THERE'S $75
BILLION WORTH OF COUNTERFEIT
DRUG SALES ANNUALLY, BUT IT'S
NOT JUST THE ECONOMIC HARM THAT
IS OF THE GREATEST CONCERN TO
ME, IT IS THE CONSUMER SAFETY
SOCIETIED WITH THIS.
THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION IN
THEIR ESTIMATES PREDICTED OR
BELIEVE THAT COUNTERFEIT DRUGS
CAUSED $1 -- 100,000 DEATHS
WORLDWIDE LAST YEAR.
THIS IS AN ISSUE OF SUCH
IMPORTANCE IT EVEN CAPTURED THE
ATTENTION OF THE WORLD
GOVERNMENTS WITH THE G-8 LEADERS
DECLARATION ON THE NEED TO
ADDRESS THIS INTERNATIONAL
CRISIS.
TODAY IT'S ILLEGAL TO INTRODUCE
ILLEGAL DRUGS, COUNTERFEIT DRUGS
NOORKS INTERSTATE COMMERCE.
BUT THE PENALTIES ARE NO
DIFFERENT THAN THOSE ASSESSED
FOR TRAFFICKING OTHER
COUNTERFEIT PRODUCTS SUCH AS
MOVIES OR FASHION PRODUCTS LIKE
PURSES.
THAT'S WHY OUR BILL SEEKS TO
HAVE SENTENCING LAWS REFLECT THE
SERIOUSNESS OF THE CRIME.
THE BILL INCREASES FINES TO A
MAXIMUM OF $4 MILLION FOR THE
FIRST OFFENSE AND $8 MILLION FOR
SUBSEQUENT OFFENSES AND PRISON
TERMS FOR A MAXIMUM OF 10 TO 20
YEARS.
THIS IS AN OVERDUE AND NEEDED
CHANGE AND I CAN SAY THAT AS A
PROSECUTOR.
SANCHEZ FOR HER LEADERSHIP ON
THIS ISSUE, I WANT TO THANK MY
COLLEAGUE FROM PENNSYLVANIA, THE
CONGRESSMAN TOM MARINO, FOR HIS
HARD WORK ON THE JUDICIARY
COMMITTEE, WORKING WITH CHAIRMAN
SMITH ON THIS ISSUE AND I WANT
TO THANK THE MEMBERS IN BOTH
PARTIES, SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED
FOR BRINGING THIS CRITICAL
MEASURE TO THE FLOOR SO
I ENCOURAGE MY COLLEAGUES ON
BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE TO LEND
THEIR SUPPORT FOR THIS VERY
IMPORTANT LEGISLATION.
THANK YOU, MR. SPEAKER, AND I
YIELD BACK THE BALANCE OF MY
THE
GENTLEWOMAN FROM CALIFORNIA.
MR. SPEAKER, I YIELD
BACK THE BALANCE OF MY TIME.
THE
GENTLEWOMAN YIELDS BACK.
THE GENTLEMAN FROM TEXAS.
MR. SPEAKER, I YIELD
WELL.
THE
QUESTION IS WILL THE HOUSE
SUSPEND THE RULES AND PASS H.R.
3668 AS AMENDED.
THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
THOSE OPPOSED, NO.
IN THE OPINION OF THE CHAIR, 2/3
OF THOSE VOTING HAVING RESPONDED
IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, THE RULES
ARE SUSPENDED, THE BILL IS
PASSED AND WITHOUT OBJECTION THE
MOTION TO RECONSIDER IS LAID ON
THE TABLE.
PURSUANT TO CLAUSE 12-A OF RULE
1, THE CHAIR DECLARES THE HOUSE
IN RECESS UNTIL APPROXIMATELY