Political Quotes

“The fact is that I completely agree with the objective of my colleagues on the floor today that we need to get transparency in the prescription drug pricing system. Americans deserve a transparent, affordable, and accessible prescription drug market. Far too often, the current system fails to meet those needs. It is not only, though, because we haven't got ads on TV saying the list price of the drug--I don't have an opposition to just doing something like that--but it is much more complex. Vertically integrated health plans, pharmacy benefit managers, and other intermediaries suppress competition, pocket valuable drug discounts, and increase prices for consumers--all unrelated to the list price of the drug. Last Congress, the Senate Finance Committee, which I chair, advanced a number of our bipartisan proposals to reform our broken prescription drug supply chain. These policies would ensure that patients, not middlemen, benefit from the negotiated price of drugs--not the price you see if you just look at the list price, the negotiated price of the drugs. With bipartisan support and cooperation, we can pass that package by the end of this year, but we need bipartisan support to move forward and do it.”