February 25,2020

Grassley to Republicans: Don’t Be Fooled, Big Pharma Supported Obamacare

NOTE: Grassley’s tweet on this can be found here. 

Prepared Floor Remarks by U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa
Chairman, Senate Finance Committee
Tuesday, February 25, 2020
 
The next time Big Pharma claims what we’re trying to do to lower drug prices undermines the free market, just remember: they supported Obamacare.
 
Big Pharma doesn’t want a free market. Take note that this industry opposes every proposal that would cost it money and supports every proposal that ensures another government revenue stream – exactly what Obamacare did. And exactly what Medicare and Medicaid do now. 
 
Big Pharma has become so big and entitled, they have the gall to claim that limiting taxpayer subsidies is somehow socialism. No, this is about ending corporate welfare and demanding accountability to taxpayers. Isn’t that a conservative principle?
 
The Grassley-Wyden prescription drug bill saves tens of billions of taxpayer dollars and has no negative impact on pharmaceutical innovation. That’s why even the free market, libertarian CATO Institute has endorsed it.
 
I encourage my Republican colleagues to join me in this effort.