OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Prescription Drug Pricing

Floor Speech

Date: May 7, 2019
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Health and Health Care

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Ms. GARCIA of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the serious threat that soaring costs of prescription drugs pose to the health and well-being of families.

Americans spend more money on prescription drug prices per person than any other country in the world. The problem has grown so much that now Americans are paying more for out-of-pocket drugs every year than for hospital care. These inflated prices are sapping the strength of our economy and the health of our families.

However, this is a challenge, Mr. Speaker, we can begin to tackle in this Congress this year. We can begin to fight this battle now by targeting abusive barriers to entry for cheaper generic drugs and taking steps to simplify pricing in our overly complicated system.

That is why, last week, my colleagues and I on the Judiciary Committee voted to refer four bills for consideration that will give generic drug manufacturers greater access to our markets, increase competition, and save lives in the process.

I call on all my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this bipartisan measure.

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