Rep. Welch and Democratic Leaders Are Working Tirelessly to Ensure Meaningful Medicare Negotiation Remains in the Build Back Better Act
Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Representative Peter Welch (D-VT-AL) joined Protect Our Care for a press call to discuss ongoing efforts to include strong provisions on Medicare negotiation in the final Build Back Better package. Medicare negotiation enjoys nearly universal support among voters and would dramatically bring down health care costs for the American people.
The call comes after lawmakers announced a framework yesterday for the Build Back Better Act that fails to include any measures to lower prescription drug prices. However, Democratic leadership has pledged to include Medicare negotiation in the final bill. Today’s call made clear that lawmakers must stand up to Big Pharma and lower prescription drug prices once and for all.
“Reports of drug price negotiation’s exclusion from Build Back Better are premature. My colleagues and I continue to fight because we know that failing to include these provisions would be political malpractice,” said U.S. Representative Peter Welch (D-VT-AL). “We know that our constituents are struggling to access the life-saving and life-extending drugs that they need because of pharma’s unchecked price gouging, and we know that we have a responsibility to do everything we can to protect them. Negotiations are ongoing and we’ll continue to work to get this done.”
“Now is not the time to back down from lowering drug prices. Failure to include negotiation in Build Back Better means maintaining the broken system that lets drug companies dictate outrageous prices while millions of Americans struggle to afford their medications,” said Protect Our Care Chair Leslie Dach. “Medicare negotiation is a win-win–it’s not only the right thing to do, but it’s the smart thing to do because it enjoys nearly universal support from voters. Democrats ran and won on health care in 2020, and now they must deliver on their promises and lower drug prices now.”