Madam Speaker, today we are faced with a clear choice.

We can either vote in favor of large drug companies that have raked in record profits under the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan…Or, we can vote in favor of our senior constituents, many of whom are still struggling to make heads or tails out of Medicare Part D.

Common sense tells me that the big drug and insurance companies wouldn’t be so adamantly opposed to this bill if they didn’t fear that it could result in actual price reductions.

Common sense also tells me that we should take every possible step to lower the costs of prescription drugs and this bill can achieve that.

There is precedent for the Federal Government obtaining good discounts for prescription drugs. Our seniors deserve that.  Don’t be fooled into believing that this bill might somehow lead to seniors losing access to important medications.  The bill explicitly prohibits the government from establishing formularies.

One of the biggest challenges still facing our seniors is the fact that they must decide in December which plan will offer the cheapest prices for the drugs they will take throughout the year.  But the problem is that not everyone is on a drug regimen that lasts from January to January.

Reducing prices across the board will ensure that when a beneficiary’s doctor changes their prescription half way through the year, their new medication will also be available at a lower cost.

I urge all of my colleagues to vote yes on HR 4 and fulfill your promise to serve the best interests of your constituents and not the best interests of profit hungry big business.

Pictured above: (center) Congresswoman Capps meets with Central Coast firefighters to discuss emergency preparedness.