Rep. Doggett Calls on President Trump to Take Meaningful Action on Soaring Drug Costs

Washington, D.C.— Today, U.S. Congressman Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), senior Member on the House Ways & Means Committee and co-Chair of the Affordable Prescription Drug Task Force, spoke at a press conference with House Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Senate Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and other Members of the Task Force on the need to rein in the skyrocketing cost of prescription drugs. You can watch Rep. Doggett's remarks here and read the full remarks below. Rep. Doggett said:

"Unfortunately, there is just no wonder drug that will cure the problem of prescription price gouging. And when you have the price of drugs going up ten times the rate of inflation, and knowing that an unaffordable drug is 100% ineffective, there are so many Americans that are finding there is no drug answer for them.

"Almost three years ago, I formed the Affordable Prescription Drug Task Force to support policies for continued drug innovation, but to restrain those who rely on a government-approved monopoly to charge monopoly prices—as much as the sick and dying will pay.

"We have watched President Trump so often say the right thing about this problem, but take none of the right actions, and he has entrusted his agenda to the very people who only months before were spiking the drug prices. We need a better deal, a better deal that relies on negotiating reasonable prices and on transparency for excessive increases."

With drug prices soaring at a rate 10 times that of inflation and pharmaceutical corporations price gouging patients, there is a true drug pricing crisis in the United States. Even in the face of the opioid epidemic, a devastating national public health emergency, the price of naloxone, a lifesaving overdose reversal drug, has been spiked by almost 600%.

The Task Force also released a list of priorities that any meaningful Administration proposal must include:

1. Negotiate prescription drug prices under Medicare to harness the purchasing power of the federal government, as the President has previously proposed;
2. Shed light on thepharmaceutical corporation's drug pricing system through genuine transparency to reveal the true cost of drug production, as the President has previously proposed;
3. End patent system abuse by eliminating tactics that thwart competition like pay-for-delay deals, patent evergreening, and Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) abuse;
4. Allow safe importation of prescription drugs from other countries, as the President has previously proposed; and
5. Ensure access to affordable drugs by crafting fair trade agreements.

During the initial sixteen months of his Administration, the President has spoken about this serious problem but has taken no real action to address it.

Rep. Lloyd Doggett's Full Remarks As Delivered

May 10, 2018

Unfortunately, there is just no wonder drug that will cure the problem of prescription price gouging. And when you have the price of drugs going up ten times the rate of inflation, and knowing that an unaffordable drug is 100% ineffective, there are so many Americans that are finding there is no drug answer for them.

Almost three years ago, I formed the Affordable Prescription Drug Task Force to support policies for continued drug innovation, but to restrain those who rely on a government-approved monopoly to charge monopoly prices—as much as the sick and dying will pay.

We have watched President Trump so often say the right thing about this problem, but take none of the right actions, and he has entrusted his agenda to the very people who only months before were spiking the drug prices. We need a better deal, a better deal that relies on negotiating reasonable prices and on transparency for excessive increases.

President Trump promised that drug prices would "fall very substantially." He said "it's going to be beautiful." That's what my friend Elaine, in San Antonio, who's suffering from glaucoma, needs. She's paying $815 a month to try to preserve her eyesight. She says, "drug costs are making it so difficult for me to finish my senior years with dignity." She needs deeds, not tweets. Her doctor never tells her to "Take two tweets and call me in the morning."

Tomorrow, when President Trump belatedly delivers his big Pharma speech, it appears to be for Pharma, not for consumers like Elaine. Once again, he is cozying up with Big Pharma by turning to his favorite tactic no matter what subject—blame foreigners—foreigners are responsible for all the problems. They are getting a better deal for their consumers on drug prices than President Trump is capable of getting for American consumers. This is an illusion, raising prices for consumers abroad will not mean lower prices for people here in America.

Whatever happened to President Trumps complaint about drugs and Medicare? "They don't bid them out. They say like $300 billion could be saved if we bid them out. We don't do it. Why? Because of the drug companies."

So, the question on his speech tomorrow is: Will he stand up to those drug companies, fulfil his promise, or yield to all the influence peddlers that are here saying once again continue doing nothing for American consumers?

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