U.S. Senators Baldwin and McCain to President Trump: Hold the Pharmaceutical Industry Accountable for Skyrocketing Prescription Drug Prices

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and John McCain (R-AZ) today sent a letter to President Trump urging him to hold the pharmaceutical industry accountable and make good on his promise to lower the skyrocketing prescription drug costs that American families are struggling to afford.

“We write to urge you to make good on your promise and make fixing the problem of high drug prices a top priority for you and your Administration. Prescription drugs represent the highest out-of-pocket health care expense for Americans and we have heard from countless constituents who are struggling to afford their medications that they have relied on for years,” wrote the senators in their letter. “They want Washington to act, which is why we have offered a bipartisan solution to hold the pharmaceutical industry accountable for double-digit price increases, the FAIR Drug Pricing Act, and we call on you to work with us to pass this legislation. Drug companies are making lifesaving treatments unaffordable and are forcing families, seniors, taxpayers and our health care system to continue to foot the bill for these price increases with no systematic transparency.”

“We have offered a simple bipartisan solution that holds the pharmaceutical industry accountable and institutes basic transparency,” the senators continued. “We stand ready to work with you and our colleagues in Congress to address skyrocketing prescription drug prices so that American families can finally be afforded the relief they so desperately need.”

Senators Baldwin and McCain co-authored the FAIR Drug Pricing Act, which would address skyrocketing prescription drug prices and hold pharmaceutical companies accountable by requiring transparency for pharmaceutical corporations that plan to increase drug prices. The bill would not prohibit manufacturers from increasing prices, but it would, for the first time, give taxpayers notice of price increases and bring basic transparency to the market for prescription drugs.

The full letter is available here.