Michael Burgess

I believe in private industry. I believe that, when the Government gets in things, the entry to the industry only gets more difficult.

We are getting to a place where things that were just unthinkable a few years ago are now within our grasp.

I want you to drill those dry holes. I think that is important.

It would be wrong for a formulary or an insurance company, anyone else, to change your patient's medication.

I think Secretary Azar is onto something when he says we ought to disclose what the cost to the patient would be.

In that light, I believe any policies pursued by this committee must put the patient front and center.

We cannot ignore that. We should not randomly categorize as bad actors those who have done what this committee has, frankly, encouraged them to do, investing in cutting-edge therapies like gene editing and regenerative medicine, because…

We need to ensure that, as we work to shine a light on how drugs come to market and are priced, that we realize that the market must also be sustainable to produce the next generation of cures and treatments.

We must consider the potential impact that this requirement could have on the industry.

We must strike a delicate balance with the policies we pass through this Committee to ensure they do not put a damper on this success or deter investment in biomedical research and innovation.

It is especially important that as we evaluate this legislation we consider the unintended consequences for both the patient and the market.

Unfortunately, solving this problem is not as straightforward as we all would hope.

We should be in the vanguard. We should be in the lead.

As a physician, I can say that I have seen the benefits of samples for patients firsthand.

I fear that this policy could lead to a sort of public shaming of companies that are trying to benefit patients.

We must strike this delicate balance with the policies that we pass through this committee to ensure that they do not dampen the success or deter future investment in biomedical research and innovation.

It is especially important that, as we evaluate this legislation, we consider the possibility of unintended consequences for both the patient and for the market.

When I return home to north Texas and conduct meetings in my district office, I frequently hear the very personal stories of individuals and families who are struggling to afford their medications.

I think there might be something that we can work on there.

I do have one additional speaker. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Woodall), who is a valuable member of the Rules Committee, and gave us a stirring history lesson on the ERISA plans and how the…

Just a point of clarification. While our last vote was just after 2 p.m. yesterday, the House actually adjourned a little after 3 p.m. I did want to make that correction. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania…

Sovaldi being a breakthrough cure for hepatitis C and we are grateful. It is a gift that we are able to cure a disease.

If we don't understand the difference between Sovaldi and Daraprim, we are going to get the wrong answer to this.

It is my hope our discussion today is substantive and largely focused on the patients who are prescribed these medications because, at the end of the day, they are who matter most in this conversation.

I recognize that every participant here this morning does aspire to the common goal of saving lives and alleviating human suffering.