DeLay Opposes Reimportation, Revisions to Prescription Drug Benefit

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) on Wednesday at a news conference in Washington, D.C., said he would not support legislation that would allow U.S. residents to reimport prescription drugs from other nations and "discouraged any other changes to the Medicare prescription drug benefit," the Hartford Courant reports. DeLay said, "Until you guarantee safety, I'll never support reimportation." In addition, DeLay said that he opposes revisions to the new Medicare prescription drug benefit. "What I am for is to let the Medicare bill work before tinkering with it," he said, adding, "Let's see how the new Medicare system is implemented."

However, DeLay said he is not "absolutely opposed" to legislation that would allow Medicare to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies for discounts on prescription drugs. House Republicans plan to release a comprehensive health care agenda on Thursday, and "no major changes in the prescription drug benefit" are expected, the Courant reports (Lightman, Hartford Courant, 5/5).