Political Quotes

“Madam President, I thank my colleague from Rhode Island for his dedication and perseverance on these important issues, and I also appreciate his mentioning the dividend concept because, obviously, we want consumers to be kept whole here and to make a transformation that they too want to make. So I thank him for his leadership. Madam President, I come to the floor today to call attention to the high prices Americans are paying for their prescription medication and the urgent need to pass what is called the Pharmacy Benefit Manager Transparency Act in the Senate that I have cosponsored along with my colleague from Iowa Senator Grassley. At the beginning of this decade, the United States spent more on prescription drugs than any other country in the world, reaching an average of $1,432 per person per year. So 6 out of every 10 adults are currently taking at least one prescription drug. More than a quarter of us take four or more prescriptions. So when drug prices go up, it really does stretch the family budget, cuts into our savings, and it puts us into health challenges if we can't afford those prescriptions. About one in four residents in my State--the State of Washington-- have either rationed or stopped taking prescription drugs because of costs. Families should not have to make this choice.…”