Kevin Brady: “At first glance, Mr. Kennedy's amendment sounds like a good idea. Of course Republicans don't want administration…”

“At first glance, Mr. Kennedy's amendment sounds like a good idea. Of course Republicans don't want administration officials to have a conflict of interest in carrying out their official duties on behalf of the American people. But, in reality, this amendment is narrowly tailored to be a petty jab at the current Secretary of Health and Human Services. Look, people want more cures and lower drug costs. They don't want more cheap political shots. Luckily, the underlying bill, H.R. 3, stands no chance of becoming law, so this amendment means nothing. We do, as Republicans, oppose H.R. 3's government price-setting regime because it will kill lifesaving cures for Americans struggling with the ravages of Alzheimer's and dementia, ALS, Parkinson's, the many cancers we face, leukemia, pulmonary hypertension--all those costly and stubborn diseases. {time} 1130 We know, and the Congressional Budget Office has already confirmed, at least 38 fewer medicines and cures the next two decades. The Council of Economic Advisers estimates it will be close to 100 lost cures. Even in the Speaker's home State of California, the California Life Sciences Association, those small firms that do three-fourths of our clinical trials to bring new drugs to America, they modeled the gentlewoman's bill and said nearly 9 out of 10 of the drugs that they would be working on would never come to market if this Democratic drug bill becomes laws.…”