Washington, DC — Today, the House of Representatives passed the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act (H.R. 3), historic legislation to drastically reduce Americans’ prescription drug prices by up to 55% and save taxpayers nearly $500 billion over the next 10 years. H.R. 3 includes the most comprehensive drug pricing reform in American history and the largest expansion to Medicare’s vision, dental and hearing benefits in decades. In response to its passage, Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach released the following statement:
“With the passage of this historic legislation, House Democrats under the leadership of Speaker Pelosi have followed through on their promise to lower prescription drug costs and rein in Big Pharma. By giving Medicare the power to negotiate for lower prices — the single most effective way to lower drug costs — and holding drug companies accountable for creating a rigged system, this landmark bill will lower prescription drug costs for seniors and families nationwide. The American people overwhelmingly support giving Medicare the power to negotiate, and any bill that doesn’t include this policy will not fulfill Congress’ promise to lower costs. Now it’s time for Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans to decide if they want to keep defending Big Pharma or put the health and well-being of the American people first.”