Lower Drug Costs Now Act Promises to Bring Down Prescription Drug Prices

WASHINGTON — AFSCME President Lee Saunders released the following statement in support of H.R. 3, the Lower Drug Costs Now Act. This legislation would allow the federal government to negotiate prescription drug prices, impose penalties on companies that refuse to negotiate, stop unjustified price hikes for existing medications and reinvest savings back into Medicare:

“For too long, politicians have given pharmaceutical companies a free license to take advantage of working people and retirees. Every year, these companies rake in billions of dollars in profits for their CEOs and shareholders by price gouging consumers. Meanwhile, millions of Americans report skipping dosages or outright forgoing medication because of exorbitant costs.

“By introducing H.R. 3, House leadership is taking a stand for working people and retirees and promising to rein in corporate greed. AFSCME looks forward to working with this Congress to ensure that every American has access to the medication they need.”