Bernie Buzz

There is a lot of discussion about how “divided” we are as a nation. And on many issues, that is absolutely true. But there is one issue that most Americans agree on, and that is that they are sick and tired of being ripped off by the pharmaceutical industry. Almost all Americans agree. We must lower the outrageously high cost of prescription drugs.

As we continue this fight to bring about real change in our criminal justice system, I want to keep you updated on some positive changes that are taking place right here in Vermont. A few weeks ago, I shared with you some good news: A new program that is taking a different approach to criminal justice reform. Now I hope you’ll take a moment to watch the video below and hear from the students themselves about their experience in the classroom.

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.