Sanders Statement on Trump Drug Prices Address

Burlington, Vt., May 11 – U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement Friday in response to President Donald Trump’s address on drug prices:

“Today, the president made clear that he will not keep the promises he made during the campaign to lower the outrageously high cost of prescription drugs. Instead, he has become a supporter of the pharmaceutical industry’s extraordinary greed.

“Instead of standing up to the power of the drug companies, who have spent nearly $4 billion on lobbying and campaign contributions since 1998, Trump has become a cheerleader for them. Unbelievably, instead of lowering drug prices in the United States, he wants to raise prices abroad – giving the drug companies even more profits. Unlike Trump, Congress needs to start listening to the American people and take real action to lower the price of prescription drugs. That means we need to pass legislation requiring Medicare to negotiate for lower drug prices and allow for the reimportation of safe, low-cost prescription drugs from Canada and other countries – precisely what Trump promised during the campaign. I will continue to do everything I can to end the greed of the pharmaceutical industry and lower the outrageous cost of prescription drugs.”