Bernie Buzz

As all of us know too well, the COVID-19 pandemic was the worst public health crisis in more than a century. Since the first cases four years ago, well over 100 million Americans have gotten the virus, more than 6.7 million Americans have been hospitalized, and more than 1 million Americans have died.

I want to invite you to join me for a Vermont Telephone Town Meeting to discuss some of the major issues facing Vermont and our country. The meeting will take place this Wednesday, January 24, at 5:30 pm.

Last week, in a Bernie Buzz, I asked Vermonters to share with me their experiences with the outrageously high prices they pay for asthma inhalers. We were flooded with responses from all over the state. They are worth reading because they describe, in sad detail, one of the major failures of our corporate-dominated health care system. As Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, I am determined to do all that I can to lower prescription drug prices in America.

That is why this week, as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), I launched an investigation into the four biggest manufacturers of inhalers sold in the U.S. — AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), and Teva. They must be held accountable for charging the American people inhaler prices that are often 10 to 20 times higher than what they charge in other countries.

his weekend, at the Vermont State House, I hosted with my colleagues Senator Peter Welch and Representative Becca Balint the annual reception to honor Vermont students who applied and received nominations to attend the United States Service Academies.

With winter upon us, I know many Vermonters across our state are worried about keeping their families and themselves safe and warm through this season. The good news is that assistance is available to help eligible Vermonters, not only afford their heating bills, but light and weatherize their homes, secure furnace and fuel tank repairs and replacements, and help pay for fuel and utilities.