[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 80 (Wednesday, May 16, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S2691]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                           Prescription Drugs

  Mr. President, finally, on prescription drugs, I read a headline in 
this morning's Washington Post: ``Trump's drug price retreat adds to 
list of abandoned populist promises.'' That headline is spot-on. The 
President has repeatedly talked like a populist but governed like a 
plutocrat.
  On taxes, the President said that his bill would be for the middle 
class. It turned out to be a trillion-dollar boondoggle for the rich 
and powerful.
  On prescription drugs, it is no different. After saying that 
pharmaceutical companies were getting away with murder and that he 
would bring down prices, President Trump proposed only the policies 
most palatable to the drug industry.
  Just today, I read about a company that proposed tripling the price 
of a widely used cancer drug. They ultimately backed down after a 
public outcry, but it shows that this problem isn't going away anytime 
soon.
  We Democrats have proposed an independent group to go after egregious 
increases in drug prices, such as the one mentioned about cancer drugs 
today. Where is the President on this issue? He has to walk the walk, 
not just talk the talk.
  As President Trump was giving his speech last Friday outlining his 
plan on prescription drugs, guess what the reaction was. The stocks of 
major pharmaceutical companies shot upward. That says all you need to 
know about how tough President Trump's plan on prescription drugs 
really is. Just like the issues of taxes, healthcare, infrastructure, 
and draining the swamp, on the issue of prescription drugs, President 
Trump continues to fail to deliver for the middle class.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, today the Senate is finally voting to 
confirm a well-qualified nominee, BG Mitchell Zais, to serve as Deputy 
Secretary at the Department of Education. I worked to get a time 
agreement for this vote because General Zais did not deserve to be 
subject to the Democrats' unreasonable and unnecessary obstructions and 
delays. For example, General Zais was nominated on October 5, 2017, 223 
days ago, and the HELP Committee approved his nomination for the first 
time on December 13, 2017, 154 days ago. Because the Democrats forced 
his nomination to be returned to the President at the end of the 
session in December, the HELP Committee had to approve his nomination 
again on January 18, 2018, after he was renominated.
  It is time to confirm General Zais and give Secretary DeVos a Deputy 
Secretary. He has extensive experience working in education and in 
government. From January 2011 to January 2015, General Zais served as 
South Carolina's elected State Superintendent of Education. Before 
that, he was president of Newberry College in South Carolina for 10 
years. He also served as a commissioner on South Carolina's Commission 
on Higher Education for 6 years. Further, after 31 years in the U.S. 
Army, he retired as a brigadier general. He graduated from West Point, 
has a Ph.D. from the University of Washington, as well as an honorary 
doctorate of education from the Citadel.
  As Deputy Secretary, his job will be to help the Secretary manage the 
Department of Education, which includes implementation of the Every 
Student Succeeds Act. I am glad we are having this vote today. I 
support his nomination, and I urge my colleagues to support him as 
well.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Hawaii.