Annie Kuster: “I thank Chairman Pallone for yielding and for his guidance and leadership on the Energy and Commerce Committee as we…”

“I thank Chairman Pallone for yielding and for his guidance and leadership on the Energy and Commerce Committee as we advance critical legislation this week to stabilize the Affordable Care Act and drive down prescription drug costs for all Americans. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of H.R. 987, the Strengthening Health Care and Lowering Prescription Drug Costs Act. I rise hand in hand with Granite Staters and all Americans who have been denied care or have been charged more for care because of preexisting conditions. Asthma, allergies, Alzheimer's, cancer, diabetes--you can go right through the alphabet--having a child, these are preexisting conditions. And I believe people should not suffer more when they are at their most vulnerable. Patients should not be discriminated against or treated unfairly when they need help the most. I am committed to reversing the Trump administration's continuous, unrelenting sabotage of the Affordable Care Act that allows and encourages junk health plans. H.R. 987 invests in access to quality care while lowering prescription drug prices. It ensures that generics can come to market as soon as possible so that seniors are not skipping the medication they need because they cannot afford it. I support this legislation because it puts patients first. I thank Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester for her leadership on this bill, and I encourage my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 987.”