Doris Matsui: “I thank the gentleman for yielding. I rise today in support of H.R. 3, the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act…”

“I thank the gentleman for yielding. I rise today in support of H.R. 3, the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, the most transformational expansion of Medicare since its creation. As co-chair of the House Democrats' Task Force on Aging and Families, I am fighting for the nearly 9 in 10 seniors taking a prescription drug, because when our system puts profit over patient health, beneficiaries pay the price. With this landmark legislation, we are delivering on the promise to lift up older Americans and their families. H.R. 3 negotiates lower drug prices. It expands Medicare to include vision, dental, and hearing coverage. It caps out-of-pocket costs, and we extend low drug prices to all Americans with private plans. While there are many reasons to support H.R. 3, mine is Tony from Sacramento. Tony has type 2 diabetes. She is a single mom and works part-time to care for her child, all while managing multiple chronic conditions. Over the last decade, the price of insulin has increased 197 percent, and those increases make it harder and harder for a family to get by. Under H.R. 3, drug price savings will be passed on to families like Tony's. Tony could pay as little as $34 per month, giving her family the relief they need for other expenses. For seniors, for families, and for all Americans who desperately need to lift the burden of high drug prices from their everyday lives, I ask that my colleagues support this bill.”