Political Quotes

“Mr. President, here is item No. 2. For decades, Americans have paid the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs. On average, we pay nearly four times more than the people in Canada and other western nations for exactly the same drug. This price gouging by Big Pharma hurts Americans' health and their financial security. I have stories sent to me from time to time from the people I represent, especially senior citizens, who tell me these sky-high prescription drug prices force them to choose between medications and other basic necessities like food and shelter. Phillip has one of those stories. Phillip lives in a small town south of Chicago. He is 73 years old and is a diabetic. After having several heart and back surgeries, he can't work any longer. He takes several medications regularly. Now, you are going to recognize the name of one of them. It is called Trulicity--if you watch TV, you have heard that one--a noninsulin treatment that he uses to control his blood sugar and manage his diabetes, Trulicity. Do you know the 1-month prescription cost for Trulicity? It is $2,000. So what does Phillip do, who can't work and has a fixed income? He tries to cut the pills in half to make his prescription last longer. Sometimes he just skips the medication altogether. He is not alone. One in five Americans does not take the medications as prescribed because they are too expensive. In Phillip's case, even that isn't enough.…”