Take Action! Get Prescription Drug/Healthcare Reform Passed
Call Your Senators and House Representative Today!
While Senator Joe Manchin dealt a hard blow to Democrats' agenda last week by withdrawing support from climate change investments and a partial rollback of Trump's tax breaks for corporations and the wealthy, the remaining parts of an all-Democratic bill, which Manchin expressed support for, are all healthcare-related and vitally important.
The provisions now being prepared for a vote include giving Medicare a foothold in negotiating the prices of selected prescription drugs and using the savings in part to cap Medicare enrollees' out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs, probably at $2,000 annually (at present there is no cap). Crucially, too, the reconciliation bill would extend the temporary expansion of Obamacare subsidies provided by the American Rescue Plan which expire at the end of this year. If Democrats fail to act and there is no extension, Obamacare enrollees will get news of huge premium hikes just before the election. This extension would be funded by the projected savings generated by the prescription drug provisions. These essential healthcare provisions need our support as powerful interests will try to torpedo them. (Democrats must pass these priorities via "budget reconciliation," the one currently accepted way to bypass a Republican filibuster.)
While Manchin has indicated support for these measures, the pharmaceutical industry is dead-set against enabling Medicare to negotiate prices for even a limited subset of drugs, and the industry has substantial influence on Congressional Democrats, including New Jersey Democrats. On Monday, please urge both our Jersey Senators and your Representative to pass these vital healthcare reforms – Medicare negotiation of the prices of vital drugs, a cap on Medicare Part D out-of-pocket costs, and extension of Obamacare subsidy increases that led to a 21% enrollment increase this year.
Script:
Democrats must unite to pass vital reforms to reduce the cost of prescription drugs and extend the Obamacare subsidies provided temporarily by the American Rescue Plan. I call on [Senator X/Rep X] to support enabling Medicare to negotiate prescription drugs, a vital cost control measure that every other wealthy country deploys, and use the savings to lower costs for Medicare and Obamacare enrollees.
Please call*:
Senator Booker: 202-224-3224 email
Senator Menendez: 202-224-4744 email
Rep. Mikie Sherrill: 202-225-5034 email
Rep. Donald Payne: 202-225-3436 email
Rep. Tom Malinowski: 202-225-5361 email
Rep. Josh Gottheimer: 202-225-4465 email
Rep. Andy Kim: 202-225-4765 email
Rep. Donald Norcross: 202-225-6501 email
Rep. Frank Pallone: 202-225-4671 email
Rep. Bill Pascrell: 202-225-5751 email
Rep. Albio Sires: 202-225-7919 email
Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman: 202-225-5801 email
[*Please call both our New Jersey Senators. Also, please remember that many of our Congressional districts are being changed this year, so please call both your current representative and the representative you expect to be your voice in Congress going forward. All Democratic votes are critical.]