House GOP Agrees to Relax Ban on Importing Drugs From Canada
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}House Republicans tentatively agreed Thursday to relax a ban on importing prescription drugs from Canada, a controversial pre-election victory for lawmakers seeking to provide cheaper medication for elderly voters.
The deal would let Americans carry up to a 90-day supply of medication back to the U.S. from Canada without being stopped by Customs agents, House and Senate Republicans said.
"This is a very significant breakthrough," said Sen. David Vitter, R-La., who led the fight in the Senate to prohibit the Homeland Security Department from seizing prescription drugs being carried over the border.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The agreement "proves that we have significant majorities in favor of reimporting," Vitter said. "This really breaks the dam, and it shows that it's only a matter of time before we pass a full-blown reimportation bill."