Political Quotes

“I thank the chairman of our committee, our ranking member, Dr. Burgess, and Mr. Green. Facilitating the approval of these drugs, having the FDA work in a safe and constructive way, and having a quicker turnaround time is all really good. It is really important. I thank them for their leadership. This is something that had to be done. It is going to benefit everyone. I want to talk about another issue that we didn't address but we did debate, and that is the high cost of prescription drugs. In this legislation, on the one hand, we are accommodating a reasonable request by the pharmaceutical industry for a fast and efficient approval process; but on the other hand, we are denying any relief to consumers who are getting absolutely hammered day in and day out with unjustified price increases because of the pricing power of the pharmaceutical industry. Yes, they do do good things, life-extending and pain-relieving drugs, but that doesn't justify grinding consumers into the dust who can't afford the cost of these prescriptions, where it is just within reach that they can provide relief to their family. We know how much pharmaceutical prices have been going up. It is hurting our employers, who are working hard to provide good healthcare to their employees. It is hurting taxpayers. But every single one of us has met a constituent like a mom who is struggling with this choice of trying to afford something she can't afford or risk a loss she would never endure.…”