Political Quotes

“Madam Chair, there is only one problem with this bipartisan plan that the Republicans have embraced: It will not lower manufacturers' prescription drugs prices by a penny. As to the phony argument that there are some cures out there that will be lost by this legislation, it also does not stand the test of analysis. The suggestion is that 8 out of 200 drugs over the next 10 years may not be presented. Not new cures, but in many cases, if we look at the current market, these are simply reformulations of existing drugs that manufacturers use to extend their monopoly positions. All of this about a bill that, frankly, I am not all that enthusiastic. I think this legislation was originally advanced as a narrow approach to win over Republicans, and that doesn't appear to have been too successful this evening. For that purpose, it may have merit. But as a model for comprehensive future legislation on prescription price gouging by government-approved monopolies, this narrow measure does not. Its negotiation scope is restricted to insulin and certain high-cost, high-volume drugs. Despite our pledge to repeal the Republican-imposed prohibition of Medicare negotiation, it still remains illegal, a violation of Federal law to negotiate lower prices for two-thirds of the medications covered by Medicare. That includes EpiPens and many other treatments. No negotiation for lower prices is assured even when the taxpayers paid for much of the research to develop the drugs.…”