**MEDIA ADVISORY FOR TODAY, 9/17 AT 11:15 am PT**
Protect Our Care CA to Protest Scott Peters’ Decision to Vote With Big Pharma and Against Patients With Mobile Billboard, Patients and Advocates
Event Comes After Rep. Peters Voted No on Medicare Negotiation in the Energy & Commerce Committee Budget Markup
9 Out Of 10 CA-52 Voters Support Allowing Medicare To Negotiate; 75% of Voters Think Drug Prices Are Unreasonable
San Diego, CA — A mobile billboard sponsored by Protect Our Care will appear in front of Rep. Scott Peters’ district office with advocates from the AIDs Healthcare Foundation on Friday, September 17 calling on the congressman to stand up to Big Pharma and bring relief to San Diego’s seniors and families who struggle to afford their medications. This week, Rep. Peters turned his back on his constituents and voted against Medicare negotiation in committee, but he has a chance to do the right thing when the final bill goes to the House floor.
Rep. Peters voted in favor of Medicare negotiation in 2019, but he has since reversed course after being showered in campaign cash by pharmaceutical companies and their CEOs. Over the course of his career, Rep. Peters has received $860,465 in campaign contributions from drug companies. Now, he’s siding with Big Pharma over his own constituents.
The event comes as Congress is closing in on a budget agreement that will transform the lives of American families nationwide. President Biden and Democrats are leading the charge to include Medicare negotiation and other key health care priorities in the Build Back Better package, but the fight is not over: Big Pharma is ramping up its lobbying and scare tactics to protect its profits and lie to the American people. This event will make clear that Rep. Peters must not cower to the demands of drug companies and deliver on his promises to his constituents and all Americans.
Event Details:
WHO:
Protect Our Care California State Director, Deborah Carmiel
AIDS Healthcare Foundation
WHAT: Local Advocates to Rally Against U.S. Representative Scott Peters’ Vote Against Lowering Drug Prices
WHERE: 4350 Executive Drive, Suite 105, San Diego, CA 92121
WHEN: Today, Friday September 17th at 11:15 AM PT
The mobile billboard outside Peters’ district office comes on the heels of a new project showing the overwhelming, bipartisan support for this reform across California’s 52nd Congressional District represented by Rep. Scott Peters. With this project and interactive map, Rep. Scott Peters and his constituents can now find the level of backing for Medicare negotiation, opinions about pharmaceutical companies, concerns about Congress failing to act, and belief in pharma’s top arguments. The project was conducted by Data for Progress on behalf of Protect Our Care and Patients For Affordable Drugs Now.
The model shows that:
- 9 out of 10 (90%) of CA-52 voters back reforms that give Medicare the power to negotiate lower drug prices;
- More than 7 out of 10 (75%) voters believe prescription drug costs are “unreasonable”;
- 81% of voters reject pharma’s argument that lowering drug prices will harm innovation and believe that we can let Medicare negotiate lower prices without harming innovation and development.