“Let’s reject this phony Republican giveaway where only Big Pharma is the big winner”

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Senior Member of the Ways and Means Committee and Ranking Member of the Ways and Means Tax Policy Subcommittee, spoke out against House Republicans' efforts to take away healthcare from 24 million Americans ahead of Thursday's vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

"Thursday, these Republicans are awarding a new grand prize, a big-dollar award. Unfortunately, the contest has been rigged so that your name is not in the winner's circle. Instead, the world leaders in prescription price gouging – they're declared the winners of this grand prize in the Trump/House Republican Sweepstakes that they call repealing Obamacare. With Big Pharma's exceptional distinguished service in charging astronomical prices and blocking competition to their government-approved monopolies, these Republicans have included a ‘no-strings-attached' $25 billion tax windfall for Big Pharma in their so-called ‘Obamacare repeal.' Now with their latest late night amendment—that prize is already growing bigger and bigger by the moment. And all of those American families out there struggling trying to access life-saving drugs, they don't win a dime in this contest. Let's reject this phony Republican giveaway where only Big Pharma is the big winner."

According to the original estimates from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and Joint Committee on Taxation, the Republican Affordable Health Care Act (AHCA) would hand $600 billion in tax breaks to the rich and wealthy insurance and pharmaceutical companies and shorten the life of the Medicare Trust Fund by 3 years—figures that may be even higher now, after the Republicans changed the bill late last night.

You can view Rep. Doggett's floor remarks here: https://youtu.be/UAyWPij6t4g