I'm grateful obviously, for this drug, but I wonder why in Australia the same diagnosis provides the exact same prescription drug for less than $30 a month.
Mark DeSaulnier
The Public Record
Mark James DeSaulnier is a U.S. Representative for California's 10th congressional district, having served since January 6, 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, he has focused on issues such as healthcare, education, and infrastructure during his time in office. DeSaulnier has been an advocate for environmental protection and has worked on legislation aimed at addressing climate change. Before his tenure in Congress, he served in the California State Senate and the California State Assembly, where he gained experience in state-level governance.
Robert from my district reached out to my office just recently when the monthly cost of his HIV medication that keeps him alive went from $130 to $960 a month.
In fact, the cancer drug that keeps me alive, which I take for my chronic lymphocytic leukemia that is chronic, but is treatable--thank goodness--costs $500 a day.
One of our basic responsibilities as elected officials is to care for the well-being of our constituents, and that means providing--means ensuring people have sufficient access to affordable behavioral and mental health care.
The first step is enforcing the laws we have already passed. We should all be able to agree that this is a step worth taking to ensure that all Americans have access to the care that they need, and we all benefit from.
California needs high-speed rail, but it has got to be done in a way that it invests in the corridors where we need it most.
I have been working on an energy transition initiative to ensure America's fossil fuel workforce is not left behind.
So getting those good jobs to follow this energy source and infrastructure is important.
I served on the California Air Resources Board for a decade. I was appointed by two Republican Governors and a Democratic Governor.
The California waiver is so important to the transportation sector if we are going to transition.
I will tell you, this is the most coherent testimony I have ever heard from a graduate of Harvard or at least that I could comprehend.
We need a world-class passenger rail system that is fueled from well to wheel by alternative and renewable fuels.
We are really far behind. In fact, when we think about our care policies, the U.S. spends less than one percent of its GDP on family and care policies.
The only way for us to fix this is to acknowledge that, and then pursue policies that other countries have that put them at a competitive advantage over us.
We actually in this moment need clear structural and institutional changes to make sure that we can build a more equitable and fair economy.
I really appreciate it and look forward to continuing the conversation. I do want to mention legislation that was passed last session that was spearheaded by our former chair Elijah Cummings to help facilitate with the coordination.
I think it is really great and I want to thank the panelists, too, that we are having this discussion.
There are a lot of Americans in this country who are in jail right now, most of them people of color.
As bad as this has been--and I would like to remind people that Purdue Pharma is a privately held company, owned by the Sackler family, largely created by the Sackler family, through multiple generations.
For all the damage that has been done, it's even bigger than this issue. It's--part of what's wrong with this country is that people think that they can ask for forgiveness but not ask for permission and not think about the consequences of…
It's been said in the Bible, in Luke, that to those who much is given, much is required.
It's supposed to relieve pain, and it does, but it's also been abused. And the marketing has been at the crux of this.
I hope the people in the Department of Justice and at the state level continue to pursue justice.





