(Washington, DC) – Today, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) voted in favor of H.R. 3, the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, which she co-sponsored.  This landmark legislation is designed to lower prescription drug costs for Americans.

“This legislation addresses a critical issue for my constituents and all Americans, and I am glad to see it pass the House today,” said Congresswoman Fletcher.

“It is common sense that Medicare should negotiate the price of prescription drugs.  And this legislation makes it possible for Americans with private insurance to benefit from these negotiations, which is critical.  Bringing down health care costs has been one of my top legislative priorities, and of this Congress.  The savings it is expected to generate and new investments it is expected to enable are a benefit to all Americans.”

H.R. 3 gives Medicare the power to negotiate directly with drug companies, creating mechanisms to ensure meaningful negotiations and price reductions, while ensuring seniors access to the medicines they need.  It also makes the prices negotiated available to Americans with private insurance, not just Medicare beneficiaries.  It prevents drug companies from charging Americans far more than people in other countries for the same medicines.  It creates a $2,000 out-of-pocket cap on prescription drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries.  And it reinvests the cost savings into new, critical improvements to Medicare: vision, dental, and hearing benefits, as well as medical research.

In Texas’ Seventh Congressional District, 66,595 people are enrolled in a Medicare Part D plan and 508,837 people are enrolled in private health insurance – all of whom stand to benefit from the passage of H.R. 3, The Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act.

Congresswoman Fletcher is a member of the New Democrat Coalition Health Care Task Force and has advocated for improving the Affordable Care Act and lowering prescription drug prices.