IN CASE YOU MISSED IT… Sen. Rick Scott Leads Aging Hearing on Deadly Risk of America’s Overreliance on Foreign-Manufactured Generic Drugs

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In case you missed it, Senator Rick Scott led a hearing yesterday as the chairman of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging: "Bad Medicine: Closing Loopholes that Kill American Patients." This hearing is the latest of Senator Scott's ongoing efforts to examine America's severely dangerous overdependence on foreign-manufactured generic drugs that are putting Americans at risk, and to find solutions to secure the pharmaceutical supply chain, increase transparency for patients and close loopholes that allow unsafe medications into the U.S. market.

Senator Scott led an aging hearing last month sounding the alarm on the growing threats to the safety and reliability of foreign-manufactured generic drugs. He also recently sent a letter to FDA Commissioner Martin Makary raising concerns about the agency's oversight and the safety of generic drugs manufactured overseas and imported into the U.S. As a result, Senator Scott is urging Commerce Secretary Lutnick and Trade Representative Ambassador Greer to consider Section 232 action on foreign-made generic drugs.

See excerpts of Senator Scott's introductory remarks from yesterday's hearing below; watch in full HEREor below:

"The terrifying reality we face is that our nation is completely beholden to Communist China and India for the vast majority of our generic drugs and their ingredients.

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'In 2024, the U.S. manufactured 37% of its consumed drugs. This number is down from 2002, when it was 83%. In just over 20 years, we have ceded control of our medical supply chain to Communist China and India.

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'This is a national security and a public health issue for seniors and all Americans.

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'I am not exaggerating when I say that people are dying in America today because of bad medicine from unregulated markets in India and Communist China.

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'When I asked Peter Baker, a former FDA inspector, if he would allow himself or his family to take generic drugs made in India or Communist China, he said no, and told us that he believed that Americans were being killed every day from foreign made generic drugs.

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'In 2007 and 2008, Heparin that sourced contaminated ingredients from Communist China killed up to 100 people in the United States.

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'The federal government is the largest purchaser of drugs in the United States… The buying power of the federal government can move the needle and bring manufacturing for essential drugs back to the United States.

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'Even if we started by prioritizing certain drugs or types of drugs, like antibiotics, which Communist China supplies 90% of the ingredients for globally, we would be making our medical supply chains much safer…

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'Other steps like the Department of Commerce's Section 232 investigation could level the playing field for American manufacturers. Section 232 tariffs are for goods that impact our national security, and I can't think of anything more critical to the health of our seniors than generic drugs. On Friday, I sent a letter to Secretary Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Greer encouraging them to immediately place Section 232 tariffs on generic drugs.

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'This is a national security and a public health issue for seniors and all Americans. I look forward to this discussion with our witnesses on how we can make sure Americans never have to worry about missing a dose of their medication or the quality of drugs in their medicine cabinet."

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