(MADISON, WI) — Today, the Democratic led House of Representatives passed the Elijah Cummings Lower Prescription Drug Costs Now Act of 2019. The legislation would allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices of up to 250 prescription drugs, including insulin, lowering costs by up to 55% and saving Medicare expenditures on prescription drugs by hundreds of billions over the next ten years.
Despite the clear benefit to Wisconsinites and Americans across the country, Donald Trump is continuing to break his promise to lower prescription drug costs by refusing to support this bill, and even going so far as to say he’ll veto it. As recently as October of 2018, Trump was in Mosinee, Wisconsin, promising “Republicans want to create better health care through more choice, lower drug prices — and you will see, very soon, drug prices will go plunging downward. You wait, you watch. It’s all in motion. And we’ve created much more competition.”
Upon the passage of the bill in the House, Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Ben Wikler released the following statement:
“While President Trump has broken his promise to lower prescription drug costs, Democrats are keeping theirs. I applaud the Democrats and those who voted for the “Elijah Cummings Lower Prescription Drug Costs Now Act of 2019” for keeping their word to Wisconsinites and the American people. People across our state are plagued with high prescription drug costs, often forced to ration their medicine or choose between paying for their medicine or other bills.
“The fact that Trump won’t support this bill shows us he was never serious about addressing this issue, it’s merely a campaign talking point. Trump’s broken promises on health care continue to pile up, as he and his fellow Republicans have tried to take away protections for people with pre-existing conditions, stacked his administration with big Pharma and health care executives, and proposed gutting Medicare and Social Security to pay for the tax scam bill. Wisconsinites won’t forget that he broke his promises to them on health care.
“Democrats are fighting everyday for the people — prioritizing this sort of legislation that helps hard working families and not corporate executives. In 2020, we need a president who will keep their word and actually address the toughest issues facing Wisconsinites and the American people — that’s clearly not Donald Trump. We cannot afford four more years of him in the White House.”
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