community center? no, it is much more than that. >> comcast is partnering with the 1000 community centers so students from low income families can get the tools they need to be ready for anything. >> comcast supports c-span as a public service, along with these other television providers, giving you a front row seat to democracy. >> earlier, members of the house passed the affordable insulin now act by vote of 232-193. here is a look at the floor debate on the legislation. this runs one hour 20 minutes. madam speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. pallone: madam speaker, i rise in strong support of the affordable insulin now act, which is critical to protecting more than seven million american

patients who rely on insulin. today, one in four americans who need insulin report either having cut back or skipped doses because the cost is simply too high. that is heartbreaking and unacceptable. no one should have to ration their insulin to help reduce costs and risk their health and in some cases actually cost them their lives. this bill will make insulin more affordable by capping the out-of-pocket costs for consumers in both medicare and the private insurance market at $35 a month. this will address the vast disparities between what people pay for insulin in other countries as compared to the united states. right now, americans are paying more than 10 times the price for insulin as people in other high-income countries, and that's simply not fair. right now, one out of every five americans who depend on insulin have out-of-pocket costs of significantly more than $35 per month, and that is unconscionable considering this has been in use -- insulin has

been in use for over a century. now, i heard my republican colleagues saying price for insulin is coming down, but in reality prices are going up for the consumer. the list prices set by the manufacturer in which patient cost sharing is based off of keep going up. in fact, reports note that the average retail price for insulin rose 54%, more than double from 2014 to 2019. now, madam speaker, i continue to strongly support comprehensive efforts to rein in the soaring cost of prescription drugs and empowering medicare to negotiate fair prices. but we cannot afford to wait any longer to address the price of insulin. i want to commend representatives craig, kildee, and mcbath for their leadership and hard work in bringing this important legislation to the house floor. i urge my colleagues on a bipartisan basis to support this lifesaving legislation. and with that i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman from washington,

mrs. rodgers, is now recognized. mrs. rodgers: thank you, madam speaker. we all share the goal of reducing the cost of insulin. this bill, however, is not the right answer. this is an attempt to re-vaive speaker pelosi's proposed government drug pricing scheme, part of a socialized approach that would lead to fewer cures. it's the largest expansion of the federal government's role since obamacare. it will cost more than $11 billion over the next 10 years through higher subsidies for higher premiums. just this montreal, axios reported, quote, legislation, like the house bill from representative angie craig, that will be debated on the floor, wouldn't address the core problem of rising cost of insulin. it would instead shift more cost onto health insurers and employers and result in higher premiums, according to experts. that means people who can't

afford day-to-day life because of inflation and spending will face higher costs someplace else. today is the government fixing the price on insulin. what's next, gas, food? history tells us that price fixing doesn't work. it shifts the problem someplace else so the powerful has the excuse for more subsidies, more spending, and more control. this bill does nothing to address the real reasons insulin prices are going up. one of those is that pharmacy benefit managers and other middle men who negotiate for high list price and then hide the lower cost from the patients. this bill gives the middle men who are making the money a pass. because, again, in this bill the democrats delayed the rebate rule that would ensure that the real savings go into the pockets

of the patients. ladies and gentlemen, we have -- we have a solution. we have a bill that we've been working on for several congresses. it enjoys bipartisan support. it's h.r. 19, the lower cost, lower cures act. it would lower the cost of all prescription drugs, including insulin. it caps seniors' out-of-pocket insulin costs to $50 per month through medicare and allows high-deductible plans to cover insulin before the deductible kicks in. it increases low-cost options with more generic and biosimilar competition. there's exciting innovation on the way being built right now and it creates more price transparency. we should be lowering the cost without going down the road of price controls that destroy the hope of so many people in this country for lifesaving cures. i urge us to reject h.r. 6388. let's work on a solution for

patients for all diseases. thank you. i yield back. i reserve my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from new jersey is recognized. mr. pallone: madam speaker, i'd yield now one minute to our majority leader, mr. hoyer, who, along with the rest of the leadership, continues this effort to address affordability. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. hoyer: i thank the speaker, the gentlelady from california, and i thank the gentleman, the chairman of the committee. and i want to rise, first of all, this is not price control. it's limiting the purchasers on a price but the companies are still going to charge what they're going to charge. somebody's going to have to pay, and medicare's going to have to pay. so it does increase the cost. it's not price control on the pharmaceuticals. i want to say that we have a

bill, of course, that will allow negotiation in medicare. just as the v.a. does. negotiation is not price control. negotiation is saying i'm going to buy a lot of your product and i want a better price. a lot of us do that. we call it sam's club or some other club that we go to and we buy large volumes and get a cheaper price than our poorer friends who just buy it one at a time. so i'm for this bill. it's a good bill. . e no option o

no buying a produ. because it because it costs so little to

produce. this is not a mcnism that has to charge these prices because it took so much to produce t it costs only $10 to manufacture a month's supply. yet a month's supply can cost hundreds of dollars. however, without a pocket -- out-of-pocket costs as high as $600, for a 40-day supply, if you extrapolate 40 days, that's 10 days more than a month, so that's a third more. so let's say it costs $13 to produce. $600. why? because if they don't have it they die. so all we are saying is let's make sure this is affordable so people can sustain their lives and their health. many americans have resorted to rationing by skipping doses of their insulin because they can't afford t the legislation before us would cap the out-of-pocket

price of insulin of $35 a month. let me again remind you that's that's 350% of the cost of producing it. this would ease the burden of skyrocketing prices and impossible choices. americans should not have to choose between paying rent, food, whatever or paying for their insulin. as a matter of fact, they can't make that choice. they need both. they need to eat. they need to live. and insulin is so often the way they assure that outcome. the prices will continue to rise unless we choose to act today. madam speaker, house democrats already voted for this measure once and republicans already voted against it. i guess we don't have any surprise what's going to happen here. the republicans are going to say to those using insulin you are on your own. you are on your own.

we are not going to worry about it. and we are going to say, we are here to help. we are here to make sure you don't get ripped off. we are here to make sure that you have the medicine that you absolutely need to survive. we voted for this measure as part of the build back better act in november. we made a promise to the american people that we would address the cost of prescription drugs and we honored that price. republicans said no. they said once again consumer, you need insulin, you are on your own. they voted for higher drug prices. they voted for the status quo where many americans have to choose between lifesaving insulin and putting food on the table. today my fellow colleagues, this is an opportunity to vote to save lives and provide a lifeline for millions of americans with diabetes. i urge my colleagues on both

sides of the aisle do not say to the american people you are on your own. tell them we are here to help. vote to help them. vote to ensure that they will be able to afford a drug they need to protect themselves from death. my colleagues, join me in voting to bring prices down across our economy and our health care system. join me in protecting americans' ability to access lifesaving medication that prevents needless suffering, extends life, and provides a higher quality of living. join me in voting for the affordable insulin for all bill. again, i want to thank mrs. craig, mr. kildee, mrs. mcbath, the chairman of this committee,

and all those who brought this bill to the floor. and urge my colleagues don't say you are on your own. say we are by your side and we are here to help. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman washington, mrs. rodgers, is recognized. miss rodgers: thank you, madam speaker. just remind the body that the measure that the majority leader referred to in committee, it failed in the energy and commerce committee. opposition from democrats and republicans because the proposed capping, price fixing of drugs, that the democrats are promoting, would jeopardize cures. cures for people with alzheimer's, cancers, diabetes. this bill does not bring down the cost. it only shifts the cost. with that -- in fact, their definition of negotiation would allow the government to impose a 95% tax on the innovators.

i now yield to the leader on energy and commerce committee of the health subcommittee, mr. guthrie. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. guthrie: thank you, madam speaker. i'm proud to be here today. i worked with my colleague, diana degette. we had hearings on the cost of diabetes, all the supply chain. we said this is something we can work on together. and we did work on it together. and most of those provisions are in a bipartisan h.r. 19, the lower cost more cures act. i'm fighting for my constituents to have lower insulin costs. but i think more importantly i'm fighting for my constituents to deliver a cure for diabetes. experts say it's not impossible to have a cure for diabetes in the next decade. we need to continue to push policies that promote innovation not slow it down. so the lower cost, more cures act would help patients including seniors afford monthly

insulin prescriptions. i encourage the majority to come back with more cures, with h.r. 19, more cures, less cost act. let's work together instead of just the rhetoric that we just heard from our respective leader. let's work together and do it in a bipartisan way. the way we tried to do it in the energy and commerce committee. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: does the gentlelady reserve? the gentleman from new jersey is recognized. mr. pallone: madam speaker, i yield one minute now to the prime sponsor of the bill, the gentlewoman from minnesota, who, again, is constantly working to address affordability issues for americans. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. >> thank you, chairman pallone. madam speaker, diabetes does not care if you are a republican or a democrat. this disease is absolutely an -- an absolute torrential disease inside working families across our country. mrs. craig: this bill has been

mischaracterized by the other side. this would lead to a $35 cost for americans. for minnesotans. for part d medicare beneficiaries and commercial plan beneficiaries. for the vast majority of working families, the price of insulin is simply unsustainable. many americans are forced to risk their own lives by rationing doses or skipping treatments entirely. today we have an opportunity to save american families thousands of their hard-earned dollars. my dill bill, the affordable insulin now act, would cap it at $35 a month. serge our work to lower drug -- certainly our work to lower drug costs and expand access to health care across this nation is not done. but this is a maimingor step forward in the right direction and a chance to -- major step forward in the right direction and a chance to make good on our

promises to the american people. i encourage all my colleagues to vote yes. thank you. i yield the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the the gentlewoman from washington, miss rodgers, investigated. miss rodgers: thank you, madam speaker. miss rodgers: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield to dr. bucshon. two minutes. mr. bucshon: we all share the same goal of lowering the cost of prescription drugs, eption insulin. h.r. 6833 doesn't get to the factors that drive the pricing. the bill will before us today is another attempt by democrats in washington to pass a political solution and set federal price controls. once they open that door, what happens when they don't stop with insulin? what happens when they decide to move on past health care? set price controls on other sectors of our economy. why not cap what you can sell your house for in order to get the cost of housing down? congress can't be for government price controls as that is a slippery slope. some of my colleagues may bring up the fact that republicans'

bipartisan alternative, h.r. 19, also caps seniors out-of-pocket costs. it's medicare part d. h.r. 6833 caps medicare part d and private health plans. that is a direct government price control on private companies. i'm a doctor. i'm also co-chair of the house kidney caucus. i have an acute understanding of how expensive prescription drugs are and the need for congress to act. however, i also understand that as a structural issue and simply slapping price controls on it will not actually solve the problem. this will only raise premiums and shift the cost to patients with other diseases. thankfully there is a better way, h.r. 19, the lower cost, more cures act, is a truly bipartisan solution to lower costs of all prescription drugs. including insulin. the bill caps out-of-pocket costs on prescription drugs and medicare part d for seniors. allows high deductible health plans to cover insulin before the deductible kicks in. increases low cost options by bringing more generic and

biosimilar composition to the marketplace marketplace. and increases drug price transparency for patients. and the best part? every provision is bipartisan. so let's get back to work together on bipartisan solutions that actually lower drug prices rather than resort to government plies controls -- price controls and march towards government-run health care. madam speaker, if we adopt the motion to recommit, we will instruct the committee on energy and commerce to consider my amendment to h.r. 6833, which is h.r. 19. the lower cost, more cures act of 2022. i ask unanimous consent to insert the table of contents of this amendment in the record immediately prior to the vote on the motion to recommit. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. bucshon: i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey is recognized. mr. pallone: madam speaker, i now yield one minute to the energy and commerce subcommittee on health chair, ms. eshoo of california. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from california is recognized. ms. eshoo: thank you, madam speaker. i rise in full support of this

legislation. seated here on the floor listening to our republican friends, price controls, socialists, killing innovation. i'm not going to use all of my time using their language. how about this? diabetes kills. diabetics need insulin. they have to be able to afford it. they have paid their taxes. all of their lives. hardworking people. so the cost for this? sign me up for it. sign me up for it. to help people, to invest in our own people. this is absurd that the prices in our country. when it costs $15 to manufacture. so today we stand with your

constituents as well as ours. to lower the price of insulin for those that need it so that they can go on with their lives. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman from washington is recognized. mrs. rodgers: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey is recognized. mr. pallone: thank you, madam speaker. i yield one minute to ms. schakowsky who is the share of our subcommittee, energy commerce subcommittee on commerce and consumer protection. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. schakowsky: i thank the gentleman for yielding. americans pay 10 times as much for insulin as do any other consumers and countries around the world. the exact same drug. we have actually the names of people who have died because they could not afford their insulin. and started to cut back on their prescribed amount.

that is just unacceptable. big pharma has been gouging consumers for a long time, even for lifesaving drugs. it's time to stop it. the affordable insulin now act will make insulin $35 a month. for millions of americans. and it will save life after life after life. this is only the start. we have to make sure that all americans have access including those who have no insurance. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman is recognized. mrs. rodgers: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey is recognized. mr. pallone: madam speaker, i now yield one minute mr. pallone: i yield to the gentleman from oregon, mr. schrader. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from oregon is recognized. mr. schrader: thank you, madam speaker. i rise in support of the

affordable insulin now act. the bill before us today will finally deliver the financial relief that oregonians who depend on insulin so desperately need. capping it at $35 approximately for medicare part d and commercial insurance, congress is making it clear that no one should skip, ration this lifesaving medication. my bill passed in the build back better bill. we need to rein in all drug price prescriptions. that's why it's important to negotiate drug prices while stifling innovation like we do in our bill, limit the price of inflation, and perhaps more importantly, limit out-of-pocket costs to seniors to $2,000 or less. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman from washington is recognized. mrs. rodgers: thank you, madam speaker. i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from new jersey is recognized. mr. pallone: madam speaker, i yield one minute to the

gentlewoman from new hampshire, ms. kuster, also a member of the energy and commerce committee. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from new hampshire is now recognized. ms. kuster: thank you, mr. chairman. i rise today in support of the affordable insulin now act, critical legislation to cap out-of-pocket costs for insulin at $35 per month. i consistently hear from granite state families about how the rising cost in insulin is forcing them to put their health at risk by cutting back on doses or skipping them altogether because it's just too expensive. we cannot continue to force american families to make impossible decisions between their medication and their well-being. at the end of the day, the work that we do is about our constituents, and i can say right here, right now i care more about the well-being of my constituents and their health than i do about the profits of

certain companies that seem to be protected on the other side of the aisle. no one should pay more than $35 a month for their insulin. and i urge my colleagues to support this bill. and with that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentlewoman from washington is recognized. mrs. rodgers: thank you, madam speaker. i reserve. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey is recognized. mr. pallone: madam speaker, can i inquire how much time remains on each of 10 minutes each for energy and commerce. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey has two minutes and the gentlewoman from washington has 3 1/2 minutes. mr. pallone: i yield now to dr. schrier, a member of the energy and commerce committee, one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. schrier: thank you, mr. chairman. thank you, madam speaker. i am delighted that today we will be voting to pass the affordable insulin now act. this is personal for me.

i have type 1 diabetes and insulin keeps me alive. but this tiny two teaspoon bottle that used to cost $40 now retails for over $300. and most of us need more than one bottle a month to survive. no one should have to ration their insulin. taking just enough to stay alive but not enough to stay healthy, that is a dangerous and sometimes deadly tight rope to walk. which is why this bill, to cap insulin at $35 a month, is so critical for my patients as a pediatrician and for people like me. thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields. the gentlewoman from washington is now recognized. mrs. rodgers: thank you, madam speaker. i am pleased to yield two minutes to buddy carter. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. mr. carter: i thank the lady for yielding. madam chair, for over 30 years,

i was the one who was on the other side of the counter who had to tell the patient how much their insulin cost. i was the one watching the senior citizens trying to decide if they want to buy insulin or buy groceries. i was the one who watched a mother cry because she couldn't afford the medication for her daughter, her child. i was the one who watched all this happen. and now i'm finally getting an opportunity to address this issue on the house floor. and i'm saddened that it will do nothing to protect those mothers from the pain of nothing being able -- not being able to afford lifesaving medications. make no mistake, we all agree on the same thing, we want lower prices for drugs, particularly for insulin. but instead of fixing a broken system, this bill aims to control it. this socialist plan of requiring every private insurance company across the country to offer

certain insulins -- not all -- but some will have disastrous consequences on seniors and the 217 million americans who rely on private insurance. we all know that insurance agencies will shift these costs to patients with other diseases. don't kid yourself. this is like squeezing a balloon. it's going to go somewhere else. we aren't talking about the bipartisan solutions that currently exist like the lower cost more cures, h.r. 19. that's what we ought to be talking about. we aren't -- why aren't we talking about the p.b.m.'s, the middle men? the berkley institute -- berkeley institute came out with a study last week, madam chair. last week said 37% of a drug goes to the pharmaceutical manufacturer. the rest go to the middle men, to the p.b.m. the solution is right there before us.

this is not going to fix it. this is going to control it but it's not going to fix it. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. mr. carter: madam chair, i oppose this. we all have the same goal, the same common goal, but this is not the solution. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from new jersey is now recognized. mr. pallone: madam speaker, i yield 30 seconds to ms. bourdeaux of georgia. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from georgia is now recognized. ms. bourdeaux: madam speaker, i rise in support of the affordable insulin now act. before his death, my father paid $300 for a 10 milliliter vial of insulin that cost about $25 in canada. far too many americans like my father are forced to choose between paying for their medication or buying food for their families. no one should have to make that choice. georgia has one of the highest diabetes rates in the country and this measure would provide my constituents with meaningful relief. i urge all of my colleagues to vote yes on h.r. 6833 and lower the cost of insulin. thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentlewoman yields. the gentlewoman from washington is now recognized. mrs. rodgers: thank you, madam speaker. i'm prepared to close. depending upon how many more speakers. mr. pallone: i only have one more speaker. we are really not closing. mrs. rodgers: i will reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from new jersey is now recognized. mr. pallone: madam speaker, i yield what time remains of my time to mr. payne of new jersey. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey is recognized for 30 seconds. mr. payne: thank you, madam speaker. i'd like to thank the chairman for giving me this opportunity because i wanted my colleagues on the other side to see what an insulin patient looks like. you're looking at him. i need insulin in order to stay

alive. the boot that i'm wearing is not a fashion decision. it's because i have a diabetic ulcer on my foot. the fourth one i've had in seven years. i have gone, left my insulin in new jersey, gone to the drugstore when i arrived down here in washington and said, i need insulin. they said, well, mr. payne, your insurance isn't ready to cover it. i said, well, that's all right. i'm doing ok in life. i'll pay for it. she goes back. she gets the bag. she hands it to me and says $348. what happens to the people that are not at the level of a member of congress? think about that. $12 in canada. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. mr. payne: we're asking it to be three times higher than it is in canada. think about that. i live it every single day. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. mr. payne: and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentlewoman from washington is now recognized. mrs. rodgers: thank you, madam speaker. i hear the democrats talking about this helping all americans. this does nothing to help those without insurance. let me repeat this. if you do not have insurance, this does not lower your cost. it may increase the price of your insulin. increase in competition to lower prices as we do in h.r. 19 is the way, not dictating a price cap. we have breakthrough biosimilars. we had two approved last year. biosimilars that would help bring down the cost. cost savings within our market so that patients would have access to lower cost to insulin but the problem is getting those savings to the patients. the p.b.m.'s are the ones pocketing the money. net prices have come down because of innovation. we can lower cost without shifting them. let's go to work, republicans

and democrats. we all want to lower the cost of insulin. we can do it without government price controls. we can do it by working together and actually solving the problem. and with that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. the gentleman from michigan, mr. kildee, and the gentleman from texas, mr. brady, each will control 10 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from michigan. mr. kildee: thank you, madam speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. first, i want to -- the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman is recognized. mr. kildee: thank you. first, i want to thank chairman neal for his leadership on the ways and means committee in helping to bring this important legislation to the floor. right now, families and seniors that i represent in michigan and all across the country are paying too much for prescription drugs, in particular, for insulin, and that's why congresswoman craig, congresswoman mcbath, and i introduced this bill to make insulin more affordable. this legislation will lower out-of-pocket costs for those with diabetes by ensuring that insurers and medicare cannot charge more than $35 a month. insulin was discovered over 100 years ago. since then, little about this lifesaving medication has changed, but the price of insulin in the united states has absolutely skyrocketed. and as a result, americans pay 10 times more for insulin than

patients in other developed countries. one in four americans who rely on insulin have cut back or skipped their doses due to cost. no one should have to choose between taking their medication as prescribed and putting food on the table or a roof over their led. people must make that choice because of big pharma's unfair pricing practices. this is something i know a little bit about. as a father of a type 1 diabetic, i have seen firsthand how the high price of prescription drugs like insulin can harm patients and harm families. when my daughter turned 26 and got her own health insurance, there are months where she spends a third of her take-home pay because she's diabetic on staying alive. now, she has her mom and i to back her. nobody has that advantage.

but either way, it doesn't make it ok. in michigan, it's estimated that one in 10 people have some form of diabetes. and the average sticker price for a month's supply of insulin is $375. for some, it can be as high as $1,000 a month. just because they need to take more insulin. that's just not right. jill, a type 1 diabetic from my district, was my guest, my virtual guest at the state of the union this year. she told me insulin is like air to people with diabetes. they need it to survive. at a time when big pharma is making record profits, congress has to do more to lower costs -- out-of-pocket costs, and that's why i fought to bring this bill to the floor with my colleagues, representative craig and representative mcbath. i urge my colleagues to vote and pass our legislation to lower costs. this is important legislation. i know we need to invest in

cures. obviously, we would like to see the total price of insulin come down, but it's difficult to hear my colleagues on the other side who oppose the legislation to bring down the cost will also oppose this legislation to keep americans from having to spend more out of their pocket. i think this is legislation that makes sense. it would help people -- it would save lives. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the debate on the set of the -- side of the aisle will be controlled by mr. smith of nebraska for 10 minutes. the chair now recognizes mr. smith. mr. smith: thank you, madam chair. this issue is mr. smith: this issue is so important i don't think we should accept a partisan proposal that doesn't get to the heart of the problem. today we could be voting on h.r. 19, the lower costs, more cures act. a bipartisan bill that would not only address the root causes of the high insulin prices, but lower costs for all patients. instead and sadly we are voting

on a partisan messaging bill to give washington a greater say in american's medical decisions while raising premiums on seniors and millions of americans with private health insurance. this is nothing more than an attempt to buy my colleagues on the other side to pass piece by piece their cures killing, socialist takeover of the entire innovation sector. worse, despite the misleading title of this current bill, it does nothing to lower the actual price of insulin. instead, it uses budget gains and regulations to disguise the actual cost of insulin for all consumers. this is just another instance of misguided health and economic policies coming at a time when more than half of americans are worried about rising prices and the economy. and of course, like the president's budget released this week, this bill is, too, is only paid for, quote-unquote, with gimmicks. adding to our deficit and the core causes of inflation. we can and should do more for

the american people who are struggling. the american people expect us to work together. we could be doing that. and, madam speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the chair now recognizes the gentleman from michigan. mr. kildee: thank you, madam speaker. i now yield one minute to the gentleman from illinois, my colleague on the ways and means committee, mr. davis. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. davis: thank you, madam speaker. i rise in strong support of this legislation as a type two diabetic myself for the last 30 years. i know firsthand the high cost of this prescription. there is nothing in my district more prevalent as a disease entity than diabetes. i strongly support it. it's an idea whose time not only has come but has passed. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields.

the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from nebraska. mr. smith: madam speaker, i reserve. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from nebraska reserves. the gentleman from michigan is recognized. mr. kildee: thank you, madam speaker. i yield one minute to the gentleman from texas, also a member of the ways and means committee, mr. doggett. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. doggett: to assure a stable supply of insulin and better health at $35 instead of $300 monthly, i fully support this bill for yolanda, a retired texas teacher, and the quarter of dependent patients forced to ration their insulin because of predatory pricing. yet instead of addressing pharmaceutical price gouging, this bill really only shifts how big pharma is rewarded. since this bill does not reduce any insulin prices by a penny, all of us who are insured will ultimately pay through our premiums. while taxpayers are on the hook for $11 billion.

for americans who rely on other types of lifesaving drugs, there is also no relief. big pharma remains immune from any restraint on its monopoly prices from a congress that is simply unable to hold it accountable. my further concern is that this bill widens the coverage gap for nearly 5.5 million texans and 28 million americans who are uninsured, wrongly excluded from any benefit, and who do not receive any benefit to date. while the uninsured population represents 17% of the insulin depennent population, they constitute 80% of the people who pay full monopoly prices. so help for some, which is important, but a need to do much more for the many who are not covered today. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yield back. the gentleman from michigan. mr. kildee: reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from michigan reserves. the gentleman from nebraska is recognized. mr. smith: madam speaker, i have letters from numerous groups

representing and reflecting the views of millions of americans. i'd like to submit for the record these letters. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. -- does the gentleman reserves? mr. smith: i now yield as much time as he may consume, a gentleman, expert in health policy, mr. schweikert from arizona. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from arizona is recognized. mr. schweikert: thank you, madam speaker pro tem. you do realize what's going on here, and i'm going to be a little sarcastic because i'm frustrated. insulin prices is outrageous. but why is it outrageous? the fact of the matter is our regulatory mechanic and our payment mechanics are the very things that broke this. and here you do a piece of legislation that will break it more. please, i beg of the majority hire and economist. and walk you through some of the facts on it. you are doing a bill here where

you are going to subsidize the dollar amount in the back, but you are still going to keep the regulatory mechanics the way they are. they are archaic designs. then you are going to be joyful that individuals will pay $35 a vial? at the same time we are subsidizing it billions and billions and billions of dollars. does anyone have a subscription to an aggregator on health care policy on your side? you do realize there is a cola coming out of the ground right now that's going to be $55 for a box of five. it's lower than your subsidized price. this is their market price. if you were doing something good for society you would actually be moving this kovacs -- kovax to the top of the regulatory stack and say we want them to get permitted and licensed as fast as possible because they are still a year plus away.

it's being built right now. and you are about to screw up the solution. if you really, really, really care about people -- represent the population with the second highest number of diabetes. i represent a tribal community that's number two in the world. come with me sometime let me introduce you to people who have had their feet cut off. if you actually care about solving the misery, read the science journals that made it clear last november, december. the success. we know how to cure -- for my friend over here, you have a family member, type 1. i know i need to go through the speaker, we know how to cure it now. there is even the next generation of this we have even learned how to do the stem cell, tag it with a crisper so you can use a biofoundry, meaning it doesn't have to come from your

skin cells. we can basically now cure type 1 and the same technology will work for type 2. we are going to have to deal with side issues. if you wanted to end the misery in society, don't build more clinics, don't do a subsidy. get this technology to people. and for those of us who are fiscal hawks and actually care about where we are going, you do realize 31% of all medicare spending is just diabetes. 33% of all health care spend something diabetes. the brain trust here decides let's subsidize this by billions and billions and billions of dollars, screw up the movement to actually have cures to actually have a co-op provide a product dramatically less expensive. remember, the co-op will bring it cheaper than the subsidized price. without all the taxpayer money. please, i know the virtue

signaling here is powerful. the economics are crap. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is reminded to direct his remarks to the chair. the gentleman from nebraska is recognized. mr. smith: reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from michigan is recognized. mr. kildee: thank you, madam speaker. before i yield to the gentleman from new jersey, i would ask unanimous consent to include in the record a statement of chairman neal that i have here. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. kildee: thank you. to my friend from arizona, i appreciate his passion. i wish it were true that he had somehow cured diabetes. it would be great news for my daughter. and so many other americans who say that they are looking for that cure. in the meantime, while we are working to get there, and i appreciate the effort, i do, because i'm onboard. i'm completely onboard with the notion that we ought to cure this terrible disease. however, until that day comes let's make sure that the people who depend on insulin in order

to stay alive can live to see that day that i know he and i both are looking forward to. with that i yield one minute to the gentleman from new jersey, my colleague from the ways and means committee, mr. pascrell. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new jersey is recognized for one minute mr. pascrell: madam speaker, thank you. madam speaker, the affordable insulin now act will cap out-of-pocket insulin costs at $35 per month. not a miracle by any stretch of the imagination. and anyone who supports legislation in this order and others where we address other diseases, obviously, we are working on new situations just about every month. so because you are working on it and you try to find a balance of the free market, and where the price goes, without fixing the

price of what something will cost -- we have been called worse things than socialists. when you come to this debate, i'll settle on that word. what does that mean? we want to get into a debate about socialism? i served in the armed forces. i fought for my country. i'm tired of being called names. seven million americans use insulin to stay alive. the average insulin costs rose 54%. you heard that before. mr. kildee: an additional 30 seconds. mr. pascrell: when insulin was discovered, warn harding was the president. and the new york giants won the world series. yet there was no television to watch the new york giants. insulin costs are a national disgrace. for a drug discovered over 100 years ago, 1,000 price tag for a

single vial is an outrage. you know it and i know it. so get beyond the argument that we are all a bunch of socialists because you want to help people. we are doing what the folks sent us here to do. we can't do it on every drug. we need the technology. the gentleman from arizona is right on target. it will save lives. if we can't do that, what the heck are we doing here? the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. mr. pascrell: i yield. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is reminded to direct his remarks to the chair. the gentleman from michigan is recognized mr. kildee: reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from nebraska is recognized. mr. smith: thank you, madam speaker. it's interesting listening to the debate here, certainly my colleague, mr. doggett, i think very appropriately pointed out, and i quote, this bill does not lower the price of insulin by one penny. it just simply shifts around who pays for what. we have seen that pattern in health care across america for some time now. i would hope we could learn from that. madam speaker, i reserve the

balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from michigan is recognized. mr. kildee: thank you, madam speaker. i now yield one minute to the gentlelady from california, ms.chu, a member of the ways and means committee. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. ms.chu: i rise today in strong support of h.r. 6833, the affordable insulin now act. i will never forget the day a constituent in my district showed me his bottle of insulin. he told me one day while traveling in canada he found he forgot it. he went to a farmcy. he found that that same bottle of insulin that he buys here in the u.s. for $200 costs only $25 in canada. the exact same product. he started calculating how much of ---it costs him to fly to canada once every three months and asked himself why americans the only ones paying these exorbitant prices? nobody should have to sacrifice just to afford medicine. that's why today's bill is so important. by capping the cost of insulin at $35 a month, this bill will

ensure that monthly costs for millions of families are truly affordable. it's time to prioritize the needs of our people so that every american can afford to stay alive. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from nebraska is recognized. mr. smith: i'm prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. smith: thank you, madam speaker. i think that this discussion we are having here today is important. i also believe that we need to work together on solutions to actually reduce the cost of insulin. again, not just shifting around who pays for what. but certainly willing to give my colleague on the other side more information about the information mr. schweikert was sharing. very knowledgeable on the subject. certainly works with his constituents a lot. constituents in need. and we know that literally millions of people across america are in deed knead for lower cost -- are in need of

lower cost insulin. we owe them a much better approach than just simple government intrusion. more government involvement. shifting around the cost. and so i was alarmed earlier when i heard that we should maybe make medicare prescription coverage more like the v.a. we need to remember that the v.a. offers roughly 50% of the options for seniors, participants, compared to medicare. . we know more choices in the marketplace bring down price. i urge a no vote on this bill. we owe the american people a bill gent effort working -- diligent effort working together to decrease the cost of insulin. thank you. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman from michigan is recognized. mr. kildee: thank you. i appreciate my colleagues' support of this legislation. this is important legislation. i will say this, i understand the points that have been made on the other side. as a father of a type 1 diabetic, i am one of those many millions of families that pay very close attention to the important research that we think may ultimately lead to a cure to diabetes. i appreciate the suggestion on the other side that we have hope for a cure. i have hope for a cure. ever since my daughter was diagnosed, i've been waiting for that moment as she has for that cure to appear. and if it is just outside our grasp, let's do everything we can to get there. but that's not what this legislation is intended. it doesn't mean we ignore that. it means we continue to push. i have worked with my colleague on this side of the aisle, congresswoman degette, to try to do everything we can to find

these cures. but in the meantime, let's make sure that there is not a diabetic who is standing at the pharmacy counter with lifesaving medication just beyond their reach, not because it's unavailable, but because it's unaffordable to them. and i take the point that while this legislation doesn't do what we all would like to do and that is to reduce the overall cost of medication through the way markets actually work, negotiation between a buyer and a seller. i mean, that's the way the free market works. let's let the free market work and not have law to allow the seller to dictate to us the price of a drug that can save lives and make huge profits while there are people in a pharmacy reaching for a drug that they can't get because the price is too high. this legislation will help save

lives in the immediate term. i hope there's a day when democrats and republicans can come together to establish policy that would allow negotiation on the overall price of these lifesaving medications. that would be a solution. we support it. you oppose it. in the meantime, let's do this and save some lives. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from california, mr. desaulnier, and the gentlewoman from north carolina, ms. foxx, will each control 10

minutes. the chair now recognizes the gentleman from california. mr. desaulnier: thank you, madam speaker. today i rise in support of the affordable insulin now act. on top of weathering the economic fallout of the global pandemic, americans are still paying far too much for insulin. this is particularly frustrating given that these are not the prices that consumers in the rest of the world pay. the most commonly used form of insulin costs 10 times more in the united states than in any other developed country. tragically, there have been recent reports of deaths of patients with diabetes because they cannot afford the insulin they need to stay alive. the affordable insulin now act would take an historic step to lower the cost of insulin and cap out-of-pocket costs at $35 per month. this means individuals with

private insurance could save up to $500 a year. this bill ensures affordable access to lifesaving medication for the more than 37 million people in the united states who have diabetes, and the over seven million americans who rely on insulin to maintain their health and well-being. madam speaker, it's time -- it's past time, but today it's time to finally deliver on our promise to ensure that all americans can get the medication they need and they deserve to stay healthy and thrive. the affordable insulin now act brings us one step closer to that promise. there's certainly more work to be done, but i look forward to working with my colleagues to get the cost of prescription drugs under control and to build upon this important first step. i urge all of my colleagues to

please support this bill, and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman from north carolina is recognized. ms. foxx: thank you, madam speaker. madam speaker, i rise in opposition to h.r. 6833. americans are rightly concerned about the price of prescription drugs, but democrats are trying to solve this problem in the wrong way, as usual. instead of discussing bipartisan, commonsense legislation to address the rising cost of prescription drugs, we're debating h.r. 6833. this radical bill is another attempt by the left to advance a government takeover of prescription drug pricing. don't be fooled. this legislation is a trojan horse. h.r. 6833 claims to address insulin prices, but what it actually does is open the door to government price controls without addressing the root problem, which is the rising cost of insulin. h.r. 6833 won't lower costs. it's a smokescreen that will raise premiums for workers and

seniors when inflation is at a 40-year high. why are democrats knowingly raising health care premiums on the majority of americans when so many families are struggling to pay for gas and put food on the table? four out of five americans in large group plans already pay under $35 a month for insulin. this bill will raise the health care costs for the vast majority of working americans. when insurers are required by the federal government to cover an insulin product, this allows manufacturers to raise the price of insulin indiscriminately. since insurers can only charge $35 a month out of pocket to the patient, the insurer must make up for the increased cost of insulin by raising premiums for all beneficiaries. with a lack of competition in the market, this bill removes the bargaining power insurers use to keep insulin prices low, leading to increased insulin prices and higher premiums.

this legislation will only worsen the root problems of high insulin prices, which is a lack of competition in the market. h.r. 6833 will lead to fewer approved generic insulin brands, making the insulin monopoly even worse. if democrats really want to decrease the price of insulin, they should pave the way for more competition, not less. this legislation will cost taxpayers $11 billion, giving the centers for medicare and medicaid service $1.5 million in f.y. 2022 to administer these drug pricing caps. trusting the washington bureaucracy to manage drug pricing and distribution is a mistake. this legislation would be the largest expansion of federal control over americans' private health insurance since obamacare. we must stop the federal government from wedging its foot in the door of our health care system and moving us one step closer to a socialist

single-payer am is it like medicare for all. -- system like medicare for all. the chair of the progressive caucus said she was, quote, fighting to make it the law of the land, end quote. h.r. 6833 sets a dangerous precedent. if the federal government can set prices for insulin, what's it to stop price controls for every our drug? -- other drug? federal drug pricing mandates will discourage medical innovation, resulting in fewer cures, which will keep americans from receiving the therapies they rely upon. instead of perpetuating obama-era schemes to expand federal control over americans' health insurance, the congressional democrats should bring to the floor h.r. 19, the bipartisan lower cost more cures

act. every single provision in h.r. 19 has bipartisan support. lawmakers on both sides of the aisle agree that this legislation will lower health care costs and protect america's status as a leading health care innovator. furthermore, h.r. 19 sets a new standard in health care affordability. this bill caps seniors' out-of-pocket insulin costs at only $50 a month in the medicare program. it also allows for high deductible insurance plans to cover insulin before a deductible kicks in, and it increases the availability of low-cost options for treatment in the marketplace. the cost of insulin, like most health care costs in this country, are climbing rapidly. yet, total federal control is not the solution. h.r. 6833 is a perfect example of legislative trickery. this bill will lower out-of-pocket costs for insulin for a minority of americans by bloating premiums and other

health care costs for the majority of americans and leave our health care system worse off. supporting socialist drug pricing isn't a solution, which is why i'm rejecting this one-sided harmful bill. i urge my democratic colleagues to support the lower cost more cures act, bipartisan legislation that will lower drug costs for americans without limiting access to cures. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves. the gentleman is now recognized. mr. desaulnier: madam speaker, i yield three minutes to the gentlelady from georgia, a lead sponsor of this legislation and a member of the education and labor committee, congresswoman mcbath. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized for three minutes. mrs. mcbath: thank you so much. i really appreciate you giving me the few moments of time, chairman desaulnier. and thank you so much, madam speaker. i rise today in support of h.r. 6833, the affordable insulin now act. i want to take this time just to talk about the cost of health

care and prescription drugs for all those in our community. it's a topic that i hear about every single day from my constituents, and it's something that touches the lives of every single american, whether you have diabetes or not. today we'll be voting on a bill that will actually provide desperately needed relief to some of the most vulnerable patients in the united states and in georgia, all across this nation. there's no time off when you live with diabetes. it's a constant ever present disease that influences every aspect of your life. listen to those that gave testimony to what they live with every single day with this chronic disease. in 1920 before insulin was discovered, it would have been exceptional for those with diabetes to live no longer than one or two years. but over the past 100 years, we've been able to save lives

with insulin. for over 100 years, it's remained the most effective treatment that we have. and over 100 years later, some estimates state that diabetics spend around $6,000 a year alone on insulin. this is just absolutely unconscionable. for a drug that's been saving lives for over 100 years, we can and we must make it more affordable for americans who need it to live. and that's why i joined my representatives angie craig and dan kildee. i find them to be health care champions in introducing this critical legislation. it's just really very simple. the affordable insulin now act would cap out-of-pocket costs of insulin products at $35 per month for americans with health insurance. this bill brings a measure of

certainty and affordability to every american who needs insulin to continue living a healthy life. and yes, i've heard arguments all this afternoon that talks about this doesn't take care of every individual in the country. specifically those that are uninsured. we know that and i assure you, we are not completely satisfied with this either. but if our republican colleagues would come to the table with us, with any measures that you have, compromise, compromise, come to the table, consensus. help us build the ability to make sure every american in this country, whether they are insured or not, has the ability to be able to afford this lifesaving drug. we welcome that from you. because people every single day are dying right beneath our noses, and i'm here to save lives. i look forward to passing this vital legislation out of the house of representatives today, and i look forward to continuing

to pass for passage with senator warnock in the senate. as the president rightly said, this legislation can and will save lives. and it's long overdue. i yield back. mr. desaulnier: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman from north carolina is recognized. . ms. foxx: i yield one minute to the gentleman from wisconsin, mr. grothman. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman wisconsin is recognized. mr. the grothman: everyone knows drug costs are too high and penicillin costs in particular are way too high. it's a bill with a simple answer. we look at the problem and solve the problem by having the federal reserve print more money. $15.5 billion over 10 years. i realize you have a pay-for here but it's by delaying another program by another year. and as a practical matter this bill spends $15.5 billion more over 10 years than we would without the bill. we are already told this source

of funds -- we also use this type of source of funds in the infrastructure bill. it's just grabbing another year. why don't we just require p.b.m.'s to pass on their rebates to the patients as intended? that's something that would cost the federal government in my mind no new money, would be a significant reduction in costs for the individual. i appreciate that so many people on the majority side of the aisle would like to work together with us. it shouldn't be difficult to find a solution to this problem. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. mr. grothman: thank you very much. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized. oom madam speaker, i yield one minute to the gentleman from texas, a member of the education and labor committee, mr. castro. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. castro: thank you, madam speaker. i rise in support of the affordable insulin now act which would cap out-of-pocket insulin costs at $35 per month and fight

the scourge of diabetes. in 2019 as chair of the congressional hispanic caucus, i organized meetings with leading insulin producers to confront them about the strain their prices are putting on the american people. in each of those meetings i said the same thing, that for millions of americans, including a disproportionate number of latinos, access to affordable insulin is a matter of life and death. for me and many of us, those aren't just numbers. four months before i graduated from college in 1996, my grandmother died of complications from diabetes. if we failed to bring down the price of insulin, more families will suffer just like mine did. but our responsibility is to all our constituents, not just those with insurance. so i co-sponsor representative doggett's amendment to extend the benefits of this bill to the uninsured. and i hope we will make that happen in the days to come. but this bill is an important step forward. i urge my colleagues to support it. with that i yield back.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman from north carolina is recognized. ms. foxx: thank you, madam speaker. i yield two minutes to the gentleman from virginia, mr. good. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from virginia is recognized for two minutes mr. good: thank you, person speaker. i say person speaker because i'm not a biologist and out of respect to our supreme court nominee i don't feel qualified to say madam speaker. i do rise in opposition to this bill. the affordable insulin now act is just more of government controlling your health care. today democrats are using insulin as the gateway to their dream of fully socialized medicine. where joe biden and his accomplices in congress have more control over your health care than you or your doctor. after all, they got to decide whether or not you got a vaccine and they fired you if you didn't obey. if democrats succeed in setting the price of insulin at $35, the negative effects will ripple across the entire health care market. i invite my democrat colleagues

to read my sophomore economics textbook to confirm what happens when you implement price controls. it's estimated the average cost for the private sector of compliance for this mandate is $2 billion. not that democrats care about billions of dollars the way they throw around trillions of dollars. don't tell them what comes after a trillion. we all remember the lies of obamacare. say it with me. if you like your doctor you can keep your doctor. come on, this is participatory. if you like your health care plan you can keep your health care plan. matter of fact, costs are going to go down. none of that was true. and instead, american families found themselves with plans they didn't like but at least they cost more so it was a lose-lose. premiums will rise again if this bill becomes law because setting prices again has consequences. something our economically illiterate democrat friends apparently don't understand or maybe they do. american innovation has brought amazing lifesaving treatments to the health care market.

that research and development comes at a cost. like any other good or product or service in this country, don't we all want the best drugs, best medicine, and best health care? instead of going with the democrat default, government knows best, one size fits all mentality, we need to embrace free market principles. the speaker pro tempore: the entergentle person's time has expired. mr. good: thank you, madam speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentle person yields back. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. desaulnier: i would like to yield one minute to the distinguished gentleman from new york, mr. jeffries. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. jeffries: thank you for yielding. what's the difference between us and them was just on full display. we care about everyday americans. they don't. we make life better for everyday americans. they don't. we get things done for everyday americans. and they don't. insulin is a drug that is lifesaving and life sustaining. it's been around for more than

100 years. it's off patent. there are no research and development costs associated with it. yet so many americans pay approximately $4,000 a year. for insulin. that's unacceptable. un-american. and unconscionable. and that is why democrats are doing something about it. the affordable insulin now act will lower out-of-pocket costs to $35 per month. that's not fiction. that's fact. that's not hyperbole. that's help. that is game changing for everyday americans. once again democrats deliver for the people. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman from north carolina is recognized. ms. foxx: madam speaker, i believe i have the right to close. so i will reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. desaulnier: madam speaker, i yield one minute to the gentlelady from new york, mrs. maloney. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from new york is recognized. mrs. maloney: i thank the gentleman for yielding. insulin prices in the united states are the highest in the world. i support the affordable insulin now act, a bill that would cap patient costs at $35 a month. it would make lifesaving medicine affordable for millions of americans living with diabetes. my committee's investigation found that since the 1990's insulin manufacturers have been raising the price of this lifesaving medicine despite no improvements to the drug. while making record profits. the price gouging has harmed americans. more than one in four americans with diabetes report having to ration insulin and some have died. nearly two million new yorkers have die by tees. diabetes.

capping out-of-pocket costs to $35 a month is an important step that congress can take to reduce insulin costs for patients with diabetes. let's make prescription drugs affordable. vote for this bill. i thank kildee, craig, mcbath for their leadership in authoring this bill. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. desaulnier: i would like to yield one minute for the gentle person from virginia. the speaker pro tempore: the gentle person from virginia is recognized. >> thank you, madam speaker. i have been so pleased to hear colleagues across the aisle speak in favor of competition and price negotiations and i hope they'll follow through in their commitment to supporting competition and negotiation and co-sponsor the lower drug costs now, h.r. 3. that you is not the bill we are talking about today. today we are talking about affordable insulin now act. a bill that would make changes in the lives, in virginia, of the more than 630,000 virginians

living with diabetes. ms. spanberger: it would make sure every affected child, teenager, family member, every american can afford the insulin that they need. people living with diabetes do not are have the choice of whether to purchase insulin or not. they depend on it to stay alive. people like my constituent, joshua davis, a 13-year-old virginian with type 1 diabetes who accompanied dr. jill biden to the state of the union address earlier this year. i am proud to co-sponsor this legislation to make sure that no american is skipping lifesaving doses of their insulin or making choices between whether they take their insulin or put food on the table. i am grateful to my colleagues or leading this effort. thank you so much, madam speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: thank you. the gentleman reserves. mr. desaulnier: i would like to yield one minute to the gentleman from louisiana, mr. carter. mr. carter: thank you very much for yielding, sir. louisiana has a second highest

diabetes mortality rate, but only the 11th highest number of cases. the rate of diabetes among blacks, hispanics, and native american adults in the state is disproportionately high as compared to other populations. insulin is a lifesaving medicine. allowing people to live healthy lives, raise families, and do their jobs. however, many can't afford this life regulating medicine. many louisianans have to pay over $100 a vile and out-of-pocket costs every single month. and some are forced to ration prescriptions. risking complications or death. the people must always come before big pharma. today we are finally taking action to cut the price of insulin. the affordable insulin now act would cap out-of-pocket costs for insulin for monthly supply at $35 and require plans to

cover different types of insulin. the -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. mr. carter: we must do this now. i yield back. mr. desaulnier: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentlewoman from north carolina is recognized. ms. foxx: thank you, madam speaker. madam speaker, i cannot let go past one of our colleagues saying before that we don't believe in helping average people. yes we do. republicans are here every day. we are average people. we are here to help average people. but what we believe in most of all is freedom for americans, and we happen to believe that democrats don't believe in that. this bill is an exemplar of the fact that they want the government to control our lives.

in every way they possibly k in the past democrats and republicans can work together to bring down the cost of prescription drugs. but democrats have once again pursued politics over progress. h.r. 6833 is a massive power grab that will lead our country one step closer to socialized medicine. that's not what the american people think. and want. there is no such thing as a free market system when government bureaucrats control prices. this legislation sets an extremely dangerous precedent. we shouldn't pursue policies that will harm the health and well-being of american patients. we should not knowingly raise health care premiums on american workers and their families when prices for goods are soaring. republicans stand ready to work with democrats to advance legislation that promotes competition, lowers costs for

consumers, establishes transparency and accountability in drug prices, and advances the cause of freedom. h.r. 6833 is not that legislation.

>> estimate chases around senator mcconnell little