Influence - Sept. 6, 2018

STABENOW: One of the biggest areas where you see the influence of powerful lobbyists in corporate interests is with prescription drugs. It's really outrageous what's happening on the cost of medicine. I mean, this is basic here. This is not some luxury item. It may be the difference between whether or not you live or not. One of the things that I'm focused on and I've been very frustrated we've not been able to get done is lower the price of prescription drugs. Why? Because there are more drug company lobbyists than there are any other kind of lobbyists, and when they block us from simple things like negotiating the best price under Medicare – really? The worst part of our system is when money gets ahead of people, when instead of saying health care should be a basic human right and you should be able to afford your medicine, folks say this is a commodity. I'm gonna get the best price I can get and I don't care whether or not people can afford it or get the cancer treatments that they need. That's wrong. I'm Debbie Stabenow and I approve this message.