The Honorable Fred Upton
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
Re: H.R. 1919 – The Safeguarding America’s Pharmaceuticals Act
Dear Chairmen Upton,
Frontiers of Freedom and our more than 227,000 members and supporters want to express our strong support for H.R. 1919, the Safeguarding America’s Pharmaceuticals Act of 2013. What we like most about this bill is that it solves a real life problem – the safety of important and life-saving medications – while using the innovation and efficiency of the marketplace and at the same time respecting the constitutional principle of limited government and the Tenth Amendment.
As currently drafted, the bill properly addresses a matter of interstate commerce as provided in the Constitution. We understand the need to have national standards for ensuring the safety of medication as it is a national issue impacting millions of Americans all across the nation in 50 different states. It is clear that 50 separate standards would only hamstring the medical community in providing needed, life-saving medications to the American public all across the nation. This matter is the very definition of interstate commerce.
Moreover, the bill also respects the principle of federalism and the provisions of the Tenth Amendment which reserves “powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States” to “the States respectively, or to the people.” We appreciate this fidelity to the Constitution because we view the Constitution as the standard by which good government is to be judged. By that important standard, this bill is model legislation.
We also appreciate that the bill makes commonsense distinctions between those who own and sell medication and those who simply act as trusted transporters of those medications. This illustrates a sensible well-tailored approach to addressing the issue.
The bill does a good job of seeking to solve a real life problem, but its does so carefully and without stepping on the rights of others or overstepping the powers granted in the Constitution.
Thus, we commend you for your support of H.R. 1919, the Safeguarding America’s Pharmaceuticals Act of 2013, and we recommend the bill to the American public.
Sincerely,
George Landrith
President, Frontiers of Freedom
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