[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 197 (Tuesday, December 10, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H9955]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           PROTECTING PATIENTS FROM UNAFFORDABLE DRUG PRICES

  (Mr. HIGGINS of New York asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. HIGGINS of New York. Mr. Speaker, drug prices in the United 
States have been rising at rates significantly faster than anywhere 
else in the world for the past 25 years, according to the Commonwealth 
Fund.
  Investments by the Federal Government and research form the 
foundation of advances in new treatments and cures. The Federal 
Government does all the costly basic research; the pharmaceutical 
industry does all the profitable distribution and marketing.
  Now, the Federal Government should use its considerable leverage to 
negotiate fair drug prices so the American people can truly benefit 
from their taxpayer investments. I am pleased to see the House moving 
forward this week with H.R. 3 that will do just that.
  We must create leverage whenever we can. Despite promises from 
President Trump last year that drugmakers would announce massive 
voluntary price decreases on their products, patients continue to face 
enormous year-over-year drug price increases on the drugs they need. In 
the first half of 2018, for every drug that saw a price decrease, 96 
drugs saw a price increase.
  We also know that drug price hikes are almost never connected to any 
evidence of innovation and improved benefit.
  Why do drug companies raise the price of existing drugs? Because they 
can.
  It is imperative that we protect patients from unaffordable drug 
prices and unjustified price increases on those drugs.

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