(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Sen. David Vitter today joined members of the U.S. House of Representatives to announce that a bipartisan majority of House members have signed a letter urging the House leadership to schedule a vote on a H. 328, a comprehensive drug reimportation bill, during the first session of the 109^th Congress. Vitter is the sponsor of the companion legislation in the Senate.

            “Congressman Gil Gutknecht has done a fantastic job rounding up a bipartisan majority of House members to request a vote on our drug reimportation bill. Today’s news is extremely encouraging. This is the vehicle that is moving in the House, and it is identical to the legislation I introduced in the Senate,” said U.S. Sen. David Vitter, the sponsor of the companion legislation in the U.S. Senate. “Now, I can take this news to my colleagues in the Senate to rally additional support on the other side of the Capitol for our drug reimportation legislation. This letter may provide the momentum needed to move this legislation through not only the House, but the Senate as well.”       

            Vitter introduced S. 109, “The Pharmaceutical Market Access Act of 2005” in January, and cosponsors include Ken Salazar, Jim DeMint and John Thune. This bill is the Senate companion to H. 328, which was introduced in the House by U.S. Reps. Gil Gutknecht, Rahm Emanuel and many others. The legislation would, for the first time, legalize individual consumers’ importation of certain prescription drugs for their personal use and include new requirements to promote the safety of domestic and imported drugs.

            “It’s time for action. America’s seniors demand legislative action to lower their drug costs,” said Vitter.