Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2015
Floor Speech
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Mr. POCAN. Mr. Chairman, on behalf of myself and the gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Moore), my colleague, I rise today to offer an amendment to prevent a spike in the copays that veterans pay for prescription drugs as a result of this misguided bill.
Every year, the Department of Veterans Affairs publishes a rule to ensure that veterans enrolled in the VA health program don't see as much as a 37.5 percent increase in their prescription drug copays. In this bill, the REINS Act, if it were signed into law, it would be very difficult, and perhaps impossible, for the VA to publish this rulemaking before January 1, 2016.
Let's face it, Congress doesn't exactly have a great track record on acting fast. I used to say, when I was in the Wisconsin Legislature, sometimes things move like a tortoise. In Congress, I explain they move more like an upside-down tortoise.
Under this bill, copayments for approximately 2.4 million veterans would increase significantly, causing economic hardship and health risks for many veterans struggling to make ends meet.
If this bill were to become law, veterans with a service-connected disability rating greater than 50 percent would see their prescription drug copays increase more than 11 times what they were paying last year. Veterans who are former prisoners of war or awarded a Purple Heart would see their copays go up nearly 38 percent. Veterans, who have been hit hardest economically after serving their country, would see their rates spike 22 percent.
We must ensure that those who bravely have served our country don't see Congress take money out of their pockets just to score political points. At this time, when we still have many veterans struggling to find a job, it is irresponsible for Congress to make it more difficult for the men and women who have served our country to pay more for the health care they deserve.
I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.
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