Roger Marshall: “this is a reckless inflation bill that will increase drug prices. Yes, you can write that down. Just like the ACA has…”

“this is a reckless inflation bill that will increase drug prices. Yes, you can write that down. Just like the ACA has driven up healthcare costs, this bill will increase drug prices. With a limited window to recoup R&D, manufacturers will have to increase their launch prices. It will also eliminate incentives for generics to come to market and gain market share by pricing lower than the branded product. Perhaps even worse, this bill will delay, if not eliminate, new innovative drugs for life-threatening illnesses, like Alzheimer's and cancers. This is why our amendment excludes two categories of drugs from price controls: Medicare Part D's six protected classes and the FDA's breakthrough therapy designation drugs. By voting ``yes,'' you will be protecting patients with mental illness, organ transplants, Alzheimer's, cancers, and HIV. A ``no'' vote is a vote to never see a cure for Alzheimer's. Rather than a healthcare system that offers Americans breakthrough medicines, this reckless tax-and-spend bill will force Americans to settle for end-of-life care, and that is just wrong. I yield the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Oregon.”