Washington, D.C. -Today, Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, the Chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, issued the following statement after passage of H.R. 3, the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act :
“I’m very proud the House has passed legislation to finally address the high costs of prescription drugs. Americans are dying because they can’t afford their prescriptions. They are rationing their medications, cutting their pills in half, and skipping doses-three in ten Americans say they haven’t taken their medicine as prescribed due to costs. And yet drug companies keep raising the prices higher and higher.
“It’s fitting that HR 3 bears Elijah Cummings’s name, because this was his top priority. Chairman Cummings met personally with President Trump early in his presidency, seeking common ground to address this crisis. He introduced his own legislation to allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices. One of his first acts as Chairman of the Oversight Committee was launching a comprehensive investigation into why drug companies are raising prices and how to help families afford their medications. In the last hearing he chaired, families spoke about the devastating impact of this crisis. As the new Chairwoman of the Committee, I am committed to continuing this work and holding pharmaceutical companies accountable."
