OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Payment Commission Data Act of 2019

Floor Speech

Date: Oct. 28, 2019
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Entitlements and the Safety Net

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Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in support of my bill, H.R. 1781, the Payment Commission Data Act.

Last year, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, MedPAC, and the Medicaid and CHIP Payment Advisory Commission, MACPAC, who serve as nonpartisan advisory panels to Congress, came to us with a problem: They did not have the data needed to fully study prescription drug rebates.

This bill ensures MedPAC and MACPAC have access to the data they need to make informed recommendations to Congress. This increase in transparency is extremely helpful in allowing MedPAC and MACPAC to analyze how competition in our drug market is currently working and how part D plans are managing the growth in drug prices. They will be able to turn that new knowledge into improved policy recommendations on how we, as Congress, can bring down the price of drugs for patients.

Simply put, this bill is just good governance.

Importantly, I think this bill, as well as the bill we just spoke about, H.R. 2115, are shining examples of what is possible when Republicans and Democrats are working together to lower the cost of drugs for patients.

In the Energy and Commerce Committee, we have worked all year to advance a number of good, bipartisan drug policies that could make a difference for patients.

Looking across the Capitol, there are dozens more bipartisan reforms that I think could get robust support here in the House.

The issue of prescription drug costs is simply too important to be sacrificed in the name of electoral politics. Today is proof that we can, in fact, pass bipartisan drug pricing reforms.

So I call on my colleagues on the other sides of the aisle: Let's build on today and continue advancing the bipartisan policies we know can become law and actually make a difference for patients in the country.

I want to thank my friend and colead, Representative Tom O'Halleran, as well as Representatives Rice, Panetta, Gianforte, and Welch for their leadership on this bill.

I urge my fellow Members to support transparency in our drug supply chain and to support H.R. 1781.

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