Press Releases

Today, Congressman Jodey Arrington (TX-19) spoke out against House Democrats’ big government drug pricing proposal (H.R. 3) during a hearing of the House Ways and Means Committee. The proposal would implement government-controlled pricing of prescription drugs, resulting in less investment in medical research and more than a dozen fewer life-saving prescription drugs coming to market each year, according to a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) analysis published last week. “The current Medicare system shortchanges the two key stakeholders I have in my mind every time I go to work: seniors and taxpayers. I don’t think the market has failed, I think that we have put government policies in place that have been very distortionary on the markets,” said Arrington. “We should do our best to repair our damage to markets, because it’s competition that will give patients the best choices and the best value proposition – best cost, best quality, and striking that equilibrium. You cannot divine profit from Washington, you cannot balance the cost and quality effectively, markets are the best way to get there." “I think rather than more government mandates, more government taxes, and more government control, we need to bring into play more competitive forces. I believe it is grossly understated what fixed prices will do to the quality of our technologies, health care innovations, and therapies that save lives and improve the quality of life.” WATCH CONGRESSMAN ARRINGTON’S FULL REMARKS DURING THE HEARING: