Political Quotes

“I rise today to highlight a historic moment which will help millions of older Americans and families access affordable prescription drugs. For too long, U.S. families have paid the highest prices compared to other countries, often leading millions of Americans to leave their pharmacy counter emptyhanded. With the passage and implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act under President Biden's leadership, Democrats are answering the call of the American people for affordable, accessible prescription drugs. No one should have to go into debt to buy the prescription drugs they need to live a healthy, productive life. Yet this is a dilemma many families in the United States face. Twenty-nine percent of Americans either cannot afford their prescription drugs or are rationing them, and the United States stands alone in this among our developed-nation peers. The United States spends about $600 billion annually on prescription drugs. In 2019, the latest year in which internationally comparable data from OECD is available, the United States spent over $1,100 per capita on prescription medicines. When you compare that to the other OECD countries, it is twice as much. Getting worse, by 2021 the United States spent over $1,400 per capita on prescription drugs. Americans and Marylanders are struggling to pay for their prescription medications, and it is long past time for Congress to take decisive action to deal with this issue.…”