Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. MANCHIN. Mr. President, I wish to give a brief explanation of the amendment and hope it will be accepted. Basically, what we are doing is changing the hydrocodone combination drugs to be schedule II drugs rather than schedule III drugs. That makes it much harder for people to have access to this drug that has been wreaking havoc throughout our States and throughout the country.

I would appreciate adoption of this amendment.

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Mr. MANCHIN. Mr. President, if I may say this: Senator Kirk, as you know, has worked very closely with me on this matter, and we have many other Senators--Gillibrand, Schumer, Rockefeller--so many people who are having this problem in their States. This is one way for us to fight this abuse.

I have said this: If we do nothing else--if we go to some of these communities that have been ravaged, and we speak to these young children, they will come up to us and say: Please help me to help my daddy or my mommy get off of this addiction. It will tear your heart out.

This gives us a chance--one more tool with which we can fight the drug abuse that is going on with prescription drugs. I appreciate its consideration and would ask unanimous consent that it be adopted, if we can do that.

I thank the Senator.

Mr. HARKIN. If the Senator would withhold the unanimous consent request.

Mr. MANCHIN. OK.

Mr. HARKIN. We have a number of amendments we are putting together, and at the appropriate time I will make sure that happens.

Mr. MANCHIN. Absolutely.

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