Grassley takes up the bipartisan mantle from the late Senator John McCain, the original Republican lead on the Safe and Affordable Drugs from Canada Act

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) introduced the Safe and Affordable Drugs from Canada Act—bipartisan legislation that would allow individuals to safely import prescription drugs from Canada, creating major savings for consumers and bringing greater competition into the pharmaceutical market. Klobuchar first introduced the Safe and Affordable Drugs from Canada Act with the late Senator John McCain (R-AZ) and Grassley upholds that bipartisan legacy with his leadership on the legislation.

“The skyrocketing prices of prescription drugs have made many lifesaving medications unaffordable for the people who need them, but our neighbors in Canada pay about half as much for their medications. Our legislation would allow for the safe importation of less expensive drugs from Canada, increasing competition, bringing down drug costs, and saving American families money. The bipartisan nature of the bill also continues with Senator Grassley taking up the mantle of the late Senator John McCain, who was the first to introduce this bill with me,” Klobuchar said.

“For decades, safe and affordable prescription drugs have been for sale just across the border, but legally out of reach for American families. It’s long past time for Congress to help the millions of Americans who struggle to pay exorbitant prices for medication. Our bill would do exactly that. In the meantime, I’ll keep up the fight against high prescription drug prices through increased competition and expanded access to more affordable generics,” Grassley said.

Klobuchar and Grassley have repeatedly encouraged increased importation of prescription drugs from Canada and worked to address the ever-increasing costs of prescription drugs. In 2017, the senators, alongside McCain, urged HHS Secretary Tom Price to use statutory authority to fast-track the importation of prescription drugs from Canada. Grassley and McCain sent a similar letter to then-HHS Secretary Sylvia Matthews Burwell in 2015. Last congress, Grassley and Klobuchar also pressed the FDA on certain drug importation policies and introduced the Creating and Restoring Equal Access to Equivalent Samples (CREATES) Act to further reduce costs to patients.

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