[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 190 (Wednesday, November 15, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1105]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                        NATIONAL DIABETES MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. LUCY McBATH

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, November 13, 2023

  Mrs. McBATH. Mr. Speaker, I rise during National Diabetes Month to 
recognize the monumental impact my plan to cap the cost of insulin at 
$35 per month for seniors has had on the lives of millions.
  There is no time off when you live with diabetes. It is a constant, 
ever-present disease that influences every aspect of your life.
  Those born with diabetes live their entire lives checking their blood 
sugar every other hour, and they must constantly be wary of what they 
eat, what they drink, and what they must monitor to survive.
  Almost 40 million Americans live with diabetes. Over a million of 
them are in Georgia alone.
  Black Americans are 60 percent more likely to be diagnosed with 
diabetes and twice as likely to die from it.
  Many of those who live with this chronic disease must take insulin 
every day to survive, and even still, it remains the seventh leading 
cause of death in our country.
  In 1920, before insulin was discovered, it would have been 
exceptional for diabetic patients to live longer than a year or two.
  But for over 100 years, the discovery of insulin has saved lives, and 
has remained the most effective treatment for all those living with 
this chronic disease.
  We have seen this life-saving medication get further and further out 
of reach for those families who need it.
  Why is it that in the richest country in the history of the world, 
children must watch their grandmothers and grandfathers ration the very 
drug that helps to keep them alive, just to get by?
  My bill, which took effect at the start of this year, caps this life-
saving drug at just $35 a month for our seniors, a step that lowers 
their overall prescription drug costs and saves lives.
  I thank my colleagues for convening this Special Order Hour to bring 
awareness to the gravity of the legislation we have passed for the 
American people and the need to continue this vital work.

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