| Today, in Eau Claire, local leaders and community members held a press conference to highlight Vice President Harris’ efforts to lower costs for Wisconsin families by taking on Big Pharma and lowering prescription drug prices for everyday Wisconsinites. The press conference comes just a day after the White House’s announcement of historic Medicare negotiations that will reduce the price of 10 of the costliest, most widely-used drugs. This action is just one of the many ways Vice President Harris and the Biden-Harris administration have already lowered health care costs for seniors, including capping the cost of insulin at $35 per month and making recommended vaccines free. Vice President Harris and Governor Walz will build on this historic progress and lower health care costs for even more Wisconsin families. The Biden-Harris administration worked tirelessly to include drug price negotiation in the Inflation Reduction Act, which not a single Republican member of Congress voted for. Donald Trump and his MAGA allies in Congress have a track record of prioritizing Big Pharma and his own political agenda over the well-being of everyday Wisconsinites. His Project 2025 agenda includes plans to dismantle protections for pre-existing conditions and increase prescription drug costs, continuing to undermine access to affordable health care. |
 State Sen. Jeff Smith and community leaders hold a press conference in Eau Claire. |
| “Vice President Harris led the fight to expand Medicaid postpartum coverage from two months to twelve, proving her dedication to broadening health care access and support,” said State Sen. Jeff Smith. “And by maintaining and expanding these policies, we know that Vice President Harris will continue to alleviate financial burdens on families and continue the fight against inflated health care costs, and ensure that every American can benefit from the advancements made under the current administration.” “For years, leaders tried to allow Medicare to negotiate directly with drug manufacturers to deliver lower prices for seniors and people with disabilities, like me, but Big Pharma blocked them. As a result, people like me have had to choose between putting food on the table and the medication they need to survive,” said Kristin Deprey, local Eau Claire resident. “President Biden and Vice President Harris finally got it done with the Inflation Reduction Act – with Vice President Harris casting the tie-breaking vote. And yesterday, for the first time in history, Vice President Harris and the administration announced lower prescription prices for the first ten drugs that have been negotiated by Medicare.” “Under Donald Trump’s presidency, already high drug prices continued to rise. Despite his many promises to address the issue, Trump and his Republican allies in Congress obstructed every effort at reform. Instead, they gave significant tax breaks to Big Pharma, allowing drug companies to prioritize profits for shareholders and CEOs while continually increasing prices for ordinary Americans,” said Eau Claire City Council member Emily Anderson. “Project 2025, the playbook written for Trump by some of his closest MAGA allies, plans to eliminate the $35 insulin cap for seniors, those prices would go right back up, and eliminate price caps on many other medications. |
