[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 45 (Monday, March 14, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Page S1139]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                               Inflation

  Madam President, now on costs and inflation, off the floor, Senate 
Democrats will continue this week focusing on helping American families 
lower their cost of living and reap the full benefits of the historic 
job and wage growth under President Biden.
  Later this week, my colleagues on the Senate Finance Committee will 
hold an especially important hearing on the rising cost of prescription 
drugs and hear expert testimony on what we can do to make medications 
more affordable. Lowering prescription drug prices should be absolutely 
one of the most bipartisan priorities in this Congress.
  Few things ignite the same frustration as making trips to the 
pharmacy and seeing the price on your receipt go up and up and up for 
basic, often lifesaving, medications. Insulin is a particularly 
egregious example. According to some sources, a 40-day supply can now 
climb north of $600 a month. For millions of Americans who rely on 
insulin to manage their diabetes, this is a five-alarm fire that 
demands Senate action. I expect we will consider next steps soon on 
some proposals already presented by my colleagues.

  Meanwhile, Senate Democrats will continue examining the disturbing 
trend of corporations reporting massive profits, even as Americans face 
higher costs. A headline from Yahoo News last month sums it up:

       Corporate America's 2021 profits were higher than ever.

  Let me repeat that.

       Corporate America's 2021 profits were higher than ever.

  It is deeply unfair and morally bankrupt for Americans to pay more 
for basics while many mega corporations are making a killing. Last 
week, I asked the head of the FTC to look into this trend in the area 
of energy prices, and corporations taking advantage of the American 
people should be on notice.