Congressman Don Bacon (NE-02) today voted no on H.R. 987, the misleading titled “Strengthening Health Care and Lowering Prescription Drug Costs Act”:

“Congress had crafted good bipartisan legislation that included provisions from three other bills aimed at reducing prescription drug prices. It would penalize branded drug makers who withhold samples from generic manufacturers; ban “pay for delay” agreements; and limit the ability of first-approved generic makers’ ability to stall another rival’s launch.

“Even though this bill passed unanimously out of the energy and Commerce committee, Democrat leadership has added what are known as “poison pills” to ensure Republicans will not vote for this bill. Those “poison pills” include giving states $200 million annually to establish state-based marketplaces. In accordance with the ACA, states were not awarded funding after December 31, 2014.

“Pelosi-led democrats took a good bipartisan bill and added poison pills that do nothing to lower prescription drug prices. We have the opportunity to pass bipartisan bills that will lower healthcare costs.  They are orchestrating messaging bills that only aim to divide and do nothing to help the constituents of our district. Speaker Pelosi should have brought forward the original clean bill unanimously passed out of committee. Americans want progress on healthcare, not partisan posturing that does nothing."

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