Providing for Consideration of H.R. Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act; Providing for Consideration of H.R. Affordable Insulin Now Act; and for Other Purposes

Floor Speech

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Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Affordable Insulin Now Act and the underlying rule.

It is unconscionable that in the richest country the planet has ever seen, millions of Americans, our neighbors, are forced to choose between buying medicine and paying their gas bill. Americans pay more than 10 times the price of insulin compared to other similar countries; 10 times.

In fact, one in four of our neighbors who rely on insulin have rationed or skipped doses due to costs. I want folks to think about that. A quarter of the people prescribed insulin for their medical condition have risked their life to be able to afford another month's worth of insulin. This is shameful.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 6833 caps out-of-pocket costs for insulin at no more than $35 per month in Medicare and commercial health insurance. This cap will be a lifesaver for millions of our neighbors who currently pay 10 times more the price of insulin compared to similar wealthy nations.

How can these companies sell the exact same drug here for 10 times the price of other nations? Because corporate greed and price gouging are not just permitted in our country, but encouraged. The bill is not the complete fix, Mr. Speaker, and we must do more to help our uninsured. So many are hurt and getting sicker and even dying because of corporate greed and monopolies of Big Pharma.

This bill is the beginning in reining in corporate greed and putting people over profits. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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