Pro-Life Group Angers Allies
With Lobbying For Drug Industry

WASHINGTON -- A Religious Right group is drawing fire from its conservative Christian allies for what might be described as drug-pushing. A July 22 Washington Post story revealed that the Traditional Values Coalition's opposition to a drug-importation bill was influenced by lobbyists -- and perhaps money -- from the pharmaceutical industry. It is headed by Lou Sheldon and his daughter, Andrea Sheldon Lafferty. The bill (HR 2427 the Drug Importation Act), which likely will be voted on in the House of Representatives July 24, would allow importation of prescription drugs from countries such as Canada, where they are often much less expensive than in the United States. The Traditional Values Coalition has said it opposes the bill because it would make the abortion drug RU-486 -- which is available in Canada -- as easy to get as over-the-counter medicines. "Any 14-year-old with her dad's or mom's credit card is in business when it comes to buying RU-486," the group said in a direct-mail letter. (But) the Family Research Council and Concerned Women for America have expressed strong opposition to the Traditional Values Coalition's stance on the issue as well as its tactics. The coalition, however, defends its stance by pointing to a letter from the head of the Food and Drug Administration to Rep. Billy Tauzin (R-La.), chair of the House Commerce and Energy Committee, that said the bill would be "particularly problematic" to efforts to stop importation of such drugs as RU-486. Posted by Editor at July 24, 2003 11:55 PM