“Building on the important work started by the late Chairman Elijah Cummings, the House Oversight Committee’s hearings this week exposed egregious price-gouging by pharmaceutical corporations that for too long have padded their profits at the expense of patients. So long as pharmaceutical corporations have monopoly control to charge whatever they want for prescription drugs, they will continue to gouge Americans for the medicines they rely on. Today, Americans pay more for our prescription drugs than people in other nations. Millions of Americans are forced to ration or go without basic life-saving drugs.
“In the middle of a crisis that has needlessly cost millions their jobs — and hundreds of thousands their lives — Republicans are dead set on taking away access to affordable healthcare and consumer protections so they can give more tax breaks to pharmaceutical corporations.
“Just like just about everything else he has said over the last five years, Donald Trump’s claims on lowering drug prices in last night’s debate, particularly his outrageous claim about insulin, were nothing but spin and lies. Calling insulin ‘cheap as water’ reveals just how out of touch this President is with the millions of Americans who must continue to ration critical medicines every single day because of Trump’s failure to follow through on his promises to hold Big Pharma accountable and lower drug prices.
Drug corporations continue to raise drug prices to pad their profits, putting medicine out of reach for millions — even in the middle of a global pandemic that has claimed millions of people’s jobs, health care and over 200,000 American lives. In just the last six months alone, Big Pharma companies raised the prices of more than 850 drugs. The price of prescription drugs is increasing faster than any other medical good or service. Despite empty promises from President Trump and Republicans to lower prices, this Administration has done nothing to rein in Big Pharma’s monopoly control to charge patients ever higher prices for the medications they desperately need.
Yet again, President Trump is trying to bribe his way to re-election. Sending $200 gift cards to seniors before the election is a poor substitute for continuing to let drug corporations jack up their medicine prices afterwards.
“President Trump has had four years to uphold his promises to provide Americans with a ‘fantastic’ health plan. Now, 40 days out from the election, he’s announcing a string of executive orders that do nothing to provide people with the kind of coverage and security they need, especially in a pandemic.
“Americans are scared, and for good reason. And this unprecedented and dangerous power grab by Health and Human Services Secretary Azar, a Trump appointee, won’t help. Nearly every action the Trump Administration has taken in recent weeks shows far more concern for the health and safety of the President’s re-election campaign than for the American people who are facing imminent harm because of COVID.
