Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the late Cole William Schmidtknecht. Born in 2001 in La Crosse, Wisconsin, Cole was a 22-year-old who, according to his parents, Bil and Shanon, did life on his own terms. Cole was known to them as Mr. Independent. As a toddler, he walked himself into kindergarten. Bil and Shanon said that Cole always stood up for the little guy. Growing up, Cole had a love for gaming and enjoyed playing in video game tournaments. He had gained a following online on Twitch that he shared with many of his gaming friends. His mother, Shanon, said he had a lifelong curiosity for knowledge. Cole had an affinity for elephants due to their wisdom and kindness and had wanted a tattoo of one on his arm. Cole had recently moved back to Appleton, Wisconsin, to live with his best friend. In January of 2024, Cole went to the pharmacy to refill his steroid medication for his asthma, a medication he had taken for years. A big 3 pharmacy benefit manager had increased the price of Cole's daily asthma medication from around $35 to over $500. He was told that no generic drug would be covered by his insurance, and Cole was forced to choose between his medication and his rent. He chose to pay his rent. Five days later, Cole suffered a severe asthma attack that led to cardiac arrest. On January 21, 2024, Cole passed away. These pharmacy benefit managers are the middlemen of drug pricing.…”