**MEDIA ADVISORY FOR SEPTEMBER 20 AT 11:00 AM ET**
Protect Our Care to Protest Rep. Kathleen Rice’s Decision to Vote With Big Pharma and Against Patients With Mobile Billboard
Event Comes After Rep. Rice Voted No on Medicare Negotiation in the Energy & Commerce Committee Budget Markup
9 Out Of 10 NY-04 Voters Support Allowing Medicare To Negotiate; 76% of Voters Think Drug Prices Are Unreasonable
New York — A mobile billboard sponsored by Protect Our Care will appear in front of Rep. Kathleen Rice’s (D-NY-04) district office with health care advocates and storytellers on Monday, September 20 calling on the congresswoman to stand up to Big Pharma and bring relief to New York’s seniors and families who struggle to afford their medications. This week, Rep. Rice turned her back on her constituents and voted against Medicare negotiation in committee, but she has a chance to do the right thing when the final bill goes to the House floor.
Rep. Rice voted in favor of Medicare negotiation in 2019, but she has since reversed course after being showered in campaign cash by pharmaceutical companies and their CEOs. Over the course of her career, Rep. Rice has received $65,633 in campaign contributions from drug companies. Now, she’s siding with Big Pharma over her 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. Rice must not cower to the demands of drug companies and deliver on her promises to her constituents and all Americans.
Event Details:
WHO:
Protect Our Care
WHAT: Local Advocates to Rally Against U.S. Representative Kathleen Rice’s Vote Against Lowering Drug Prices
WHERE: Rep. Kathleen Rice District Office: 229 7th Street, Garden City, NY 11530
WHEN: Monday, September 20 at 11:00 AM ET
The mobile billboard outside Rice’s district office comes on the heels of a new project showing the overwhelming, bipartisan support for reform across New York’s 4th Congressional District. With this project and interactive map, Rep. Rice and her 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 NY-04 voters back reforms that give Medicare the power to negotiate lower drug prices;
- More than 7 out of 10 (76%) voters believe prescription drug costs are “unreasonable”;
- 82% 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.