[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 37 (Tuesday, February 25, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S1123]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        PRESCRIPTION DRUG COSTS

  Mr. GRASSLEY. Madam President, I would like to bring my colleagues up 
to date on a bipartisan bill to lower drug prices and also, at the same 
time, give an update on the pharmaceutical industry's opposition to 
this legislation.
  Beware the next time Big Pharma claims what we are trying to do to 
lower drug prices, in their words, ``undermines the free market.'' Just 
remember this. The pharmaceutical industry supported ObamaCare.
  Big Pharma doesn't want a free market. Take note that this industry 
opposes every proposal that would cost it money and supports every 
proposal that ensures another government revenue stream. That is 
exactly what ObamaCare did and that is what Medicare and Medicaid do 
now.
  Big Pharma has become so big and entitled that they have the gall to 
claim that limiting taxpayer subsidies is somehow socialism. ObamaCare 
has a stream that does that, as does Medicare and Medicaid. In fact, 
this is what ending corporate welfare and demanding accountability to 
taxpayers is all about. It seems to me that ending those subsidies 
would be a very conservative principle.
  The Grassley-Wyden prescription drug bill saves tens of billions of 
dollars of taxpayer money and has no negative impact on pharmaceutical 
innovation. That is exactly what the CBO has said and that is why even 
the free-market, libertarian CATO Institute has endorsed this 
legislation.
  So I encourage my Republican colleagues to join me and Senator Wyden 
in that bipartisan effort.
  I yield the floor.

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