Washington, DC - U.S. Representatives Rahm Emanuel (D-Illinois), Gil Gutknecht (R-Minnesota), Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Dan Burton (R-Indiana), Jo Ann Emerson (R-Missouri), Rosa DeLauro (D-Connecticut), Anne Northup (R-Kentucky), and Sherrod Brown (D-OH), today issued the following statement regarding the results of the Health and Human Services Task Force Report on Drug Importation:

“It is ironic that two weeks after the HHS announcement that millions of flu vaccine doses will be imported from Germany, HHS is releasing a report creating major roadblocks to drug importation. However, these results are not surprising, given that the task force was composed entirely of officials from agencies publicly opposed to importation.

By convening this task force, HHS had an opportunity to take an innovative step forward to give American families access to world-class prescription drugs at affordable prices. Unfortunately, this one-sided report indicates no willingness to find solutions, instead dismissing importation using the same scare tactics employed by the pharmaceutical companies themselves.

With a wide majority of our Congressional colleagues and the American people in support of importation, we will continue to push forward to pass importation legislation next year. We will not stop fighting to establish a workable and effective plan to open our prescription drug markets and allow all Americans to access affordable drugs.”