[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 16 (Wednesday, January 25, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H293]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
COVID VACCINE PRICING
(Ms. PORTER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1
minute.)
Ms. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to Big
Pharma cheating taxpayers.
As pharmaceutical companies prepare to sell vaccines on the private
market, they are jacking up the price tag on our public health.
After tens of billions of dollars of sales, vaccine manufacturers
have floated commercial prices over four times higher than the price
currently paid by the government.
Taxpayers contributed to every aspect of these vaccines, from the
underlining science, to the clinical trials, to purchasing agreements,
but only the manufacturers will profit.
Just two vaccine manufacturers control 97 percent of the market. They
will not compete because they do not have to.
I have worked on legislation to prevent anticompetitive pricing in
consolidated markets, like vaccines. This is especially important for
products that our tax dollars paid for.
We cannot continue to ask taxpayers to help cover the risk, while
letting Big Pharma collude to reap the profits.
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