[Page H8966]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   LOWERING PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICES

  (Ms. CRAIG asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. CRAIG. Mr. Speaker, the number one issue that my constituents 
have asked me to address is the price of healthcare and, especially, 
the cost of prescription drugs. It is long past time for commonsense 
legislation to end the ban on price negotiation for drugs for our 
Nation's Medicare patients.
  This one action will hold Big Pharma accountable and encourage more 
competition. That is why the special interests have opposed H.R. 3, 
because it forces them to lower their prices for U.S. patients.
  We can use the money saved to lower premiums, cap out-of-pocket costs 
for our Nation's seniors, and invest in the National Institutes of 
Health's lifesaving research and innovation.
  These are decisions that impact real people. Take my constituent from 
Rosemount. He has Crohn's disease and takes a medication called Canasa. 
When he started taking the drug, it was $100 for a 30-day supply. Over 
the past 10 years, that has skyrocketed to $1,500 a month. In Canada, 
that same drug costs $75 a month.
  It is time to stop talking and take action.

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