The bill passed both houses of Congress and was signed by the president in October. The victory is a small step, however, toward reining in the high price of prescription drugs.

The bill allows Americans to buy a 90-day supply of prescription drugs from Canadian pharmacies.

Advocates were not able to overcome industry opposition to Internet and mail order sales of Canadian drugs, which would help the majority of Americans who cannot make the trip to Canada for prescription drugs. These sales are still prohibited.

The Department of Homeland Security had come under some fire for confiscating critical medications from seniors who, faced with choosing between needed medications and other essential purchases, opted to import their prescription drugs from Canada.

Customs agents seized and destroyed at least 40,000 prescription drug packages at the border before backing down and stopping the seizures in September.

Advocates will build on momentum from these victories to get Congress to leverage better prices from the powerful pharmaceutical industry, including the PIRG-backed Medicare Prescription Drugs Saving and Choice Act (HR 752), which would allow Medicare to negotiate lower prescription drug prices with manufacturers.

Cutting Excessive Subsidies To Oil and Gas Companies
Last year, food-borne E. Coli outbreaks caused by contaminated spinach heightened the country’s awareness of food safety laws.

Incredibly, Congress was at that time considering legislation that would roll back food safety protections at the behest of the food manufacturers lobby.

As this newsletter goes to print, our coalition is working in the Senate to stop the attacks on our food safety protections, and calling on senators to oppose the so-called National Uniformity for Food Act, and any bill that would take away the rights of states to protect people from chemicals in food.

The act would eliminate proven food safety and labeling standards that are more protective than federal standards, even when the federal government has no regulation on the books.

For instance, states currently have the right to post warnings to pregnant women and parents about the significant risks to the brains of fetuses and young children from high levels of mercury in certain kinds of fish.

They would lose this power if the bill went into effect. A PIRG-led coalition of state and local food safety officials and 39 attorneys general oppose the bill.

Our advocates will continue to work during the 110th Congress to stop the assaults on our food safety protections.

WISPIRG Works For Cell Phone User’s Bill Of Rights
While our cell phones have brought convenience to our lives, they are also the source of numerous frustrations. In fact, telecommunications service consistently ranks as the second-largest source of consumer complaints to the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.

WISPIRG research has found that cell phone customers have little recourse when faced with billing or coverage problems like “dead zones” and dropped calls—consumers often can’t even change providers without paying a hefty termination fee of up to $175.

WISPIRG has also worked with Rep. Terese Berceau to draft a Cell Phone Users Bill of Rights. The bill, under consideration in the Legislature, would ensure that cell phone companies give their customers accurate information about plans and service territories and allow consumers to terminate their contracts without hefty fines.