Political Quotes

“Madam Chair, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Americans want lower drug prices. I want lower drug prices. My colleagues want lower drug prices. We have been told tonight that H.R. 3 is the proper vehicle to accomplish that goal. I regret to inform the body that it is not. H.R. 3 is not a bipartisan attempt to find common ground. Make no mistake about it, it will not become the law of the land. But for those of us who came to Congress to solve problems, there is some good news. There is a better way. H.R. 19, which was introduced by 111 of my colleagues and me this week, is markedly better than H.R. 3, and it can become law. I want to highlight four components of H.R. 19. First, it would end abuse of the patent system, and it would end the pay-for-delay agreements that allow generic manufacturers to actually be paid by their competitors to keep drugs off the market. Secondly, it would, for the first time ever, place a cap on seniors' out-of-pocket drug costs. That is supported by 75 percent of Americans. Third, it would establish a new negotiator within the Office of the United States Trade Representative, allowing us to push back against countries that expect that the U.S. should subsidize their drug costs. Finally, it would increase transparency in the doctor's office and at the pharmacy. That will be welcome news for the 90 percent of Americans who want to see more transparency in the drug pricing system.…”