[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 82 (Thursday, May 16, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H3852]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

  (Mrs. AXNE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. AXNE. Mr. Speaker, Iowans are struggling to keep up with the 
rising cost of prescription drugs.
  A teacher in Farragut, who has had diabetes for 20 years, is spending 
over $750 a month for insulin. That is a third of her take-home pay, 
and she needs a second job just to cover her costs.
  A woman from West Des Moines wrote to me that her medication used to 
cost $50 for a 90-day supply and now that price has gone to $1,000. Her 
family found they can buy the same medication in Canada for $60.
  In fact, Americans pay more for prescription drugs than any other 
country in the world. Brand-name drug manufacturers are gaming the 
system to reap profits and they are using delay tactics to prevent 
generic companies from bringing the same drugs to market.
  I ran for Congress to protect Iowans, not Big Pharma. This bill will 
help bring generics to market quicker to lower the cost for consumers 
and save billions in taxpayer dollars.
  No one should ever have to decide between putting food on the table 
and taking their medicine.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to pass this legislation to lower 
the cost of prescription drugs for all Iowans and Americans.

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