[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 154 (Tuesday, September 24, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H7873]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            INCENTIVIZE INNOVATION TO LOWER HEALTHCARE COSTS

  (Mr. KELLER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. KELLER. Mr. Speaker, there is absolutely no doubt that Americans 
pay too much for healthcare. Seventy percent of Americans agree that 
lowering prescription drug costs should be a major priority for the 
legislature.
  During August, I participated in a number of healthcare-related 
roundtables with medical professionals across Pennsylvania's 12th 
Congressional District. Those healthcare professionals identified a 
number of ways to help lower prescription drug costs, including patent 
reform that would help get generics to market quickly and the need to 
incentivize innovation as a means to find more cures.
  As such, I am disturbed that my colleagues on the other side of the 
aisle have introduced a pricing bill that is merely for political 
talking points and, if enacted, would put this country on the road 
toward socialized medicine. Rather than incentivizing innovation and 
patent reform, Democrats have introduced a bill that would increase 
taxes and stifle innovation while raising drug prices, leading to fewer 
cures.
  The American people have demanded action on lowering healthcare 
costs. But, Mr. Speaker, socialized medicine is not the answer. It is 
time to work together on real solutions in the free market to lower 
prescription drug costs and find cures for all Americans.

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