Sensenbrenner Statement On Obamacare Bailout Bill
"It’s incredibly disappointing that Democratic leadership chose to play politics rather than legislate."
Washington, D.C.—Today, Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner (WI-05) offered the following statement after voting against H.R. 987, the Strengthening Health Care and Lowering Prescription Drug Costs Act:
“The CREATES Act is good, bipartisan policy that will lower prescription drug prices for Americans—which is why I am the lead Republican sponsor of the bill. Unfortunately, in a blatant partisan play, the Democratic leadership has attached CREATES to the so-called ‘Strengthening Health Care and Lowering Prescription Drug Costs Act.’ This move showcases the main problem in Washington—scoring political points instead of helping the American people.
H.R. 987 would bail out a failing Obamacare system, but it stands no chance of becoming law. It’s incredibly disappointing that Democratic leadership chose to play politics rather than legislate. Lowering prescription drug prices is one of my top priorities this year. We could accomplish that with the CREATES Act. Instead, we saw a clear political stunt today and are no closer to helping the American people.”
Background on H.R. 987:
H.R.987 combines three bipartisan drug pricing bills with four partisan Obamacare bailout bills. They are: H.R. 965, the Creating and Restoring Equal Access to Equivalent Samples (CREATES) Act; .R. 1499, the Protecting Consumer Access to Generic Drugs Act; H.R. 938, the Bringing Low-cost Options and Competition while Keeping Incentives for New Generics (BLOCKING) Act; H.R. 1385, the State Allowance for a Variety of Exchanges (SAVE) Act; H.R. 1386, the Expand Navigators’ Resources for Outreach, Learning, and Longevity (ENROLL) Act; H.R. 1010, To provide that the rule entitled “Short-Term, Limited Duration Insurance” shall have no force or effect; and H.R. 987, the Marketing and Outreach Restoration to Empower Health Education Act.
Background the Creating and Restoring Equal Access to Equivalent Samples (CREATES) Act:
In order for a generic or biosimilar prescription to have FDA approval, the generic manufacturer must be able to compare its product to the brand-name product. Simply put, if the product is as safe and effective as the label, then the FDA can approve the generic.
Some generic manufacturers, however, have difficulty obtaining samples of medication from the brand-name company. This is because brand-name companies have an incentive to make it difficult for generic producers to obtain their brand-name products.
The CREATES Act gives generic manufacturers the ability to bring actions in federal court against brand-name companies that refuse to provide samples of their products for purchase and use in the generic approval process. In so doing, the CREATES Act helps to increase the likelihood of a generic product coming to the market so consumers have more affordable options.
The CREATES Act also gives the FDA more discretion for approving alternative safety protocols that meet the statutory standards already in place. This helps the FDA more efficiently process generic applications. In the end, this helps consumers, who will have greater choice when selecting their medications.
According to a Congressional Budget Office estimate, the CREATES Act will save the federal government $3.9 billion on prescription spending.
More than 90 organizations representing consumers, physicians, pharmacists, hospitals, insurers, antitrust exports, and others support the CREATES Act. Supporters include AARP, Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing, Consumer Reports, Public Citizen, American Hospital Association, America’s Health Insurance Plans, Patients for Affordable Drugs, and the Coalition for Affordable Prescription Drugs.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.
Mentioned in This Press Release
Recent Press Releases by U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner
Pardon me Rep. Sensenbrenner, but the ACA is failing because of partisan Republicans undermining the law from its passage. The Republican position from the very beginning was to undermine any legislation President Obama supported even when it was THE Republican plan. To now point the figure at the Democrats is nothing more than shameless partisan preening, which has grown exceedingly tiresome.
What is the Republican healthcare plan?
I’ve heard people at Republican rally’s yell “let ‘em die” when asked what should be done to citizens who are sick and can’t afford health care. Although, It must be said that Republicans are willing to cover the cost of health care ‘for all’ from conception to birth.
Recent articles in MJS report ambulance “diversion tactics” by hospitals. This happens when a poor person, suffering a heart attack or other illness, is in an ambulance on the way to nearest hospital. Hospitals will divert the ambulance because they don’t want to treat a person who cannot fully pay, or whose insurance cannot fully pay, the cost of treatment. One of the arguments used against Canada’s Universal healthcare system is that one may wait for months for non-emergency medical treatment. Yet, the same is true here…and Canada’s hospitals don’t use ambulance diversion tactics to avoid treating a poor, sick person.
We need to strengthen Obamacare. It isn’t working well now because Republicans are doing everything they can to undermine it.