Rep. Davis Statement on House Democrats' Partisan Health Care Legislation, Urges Congressional Leaders to Consider Bipartisan Alternatives

WASHINGTON, June 30 -- Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Illinois, issued the following news release:

U.S. Representative Rodney Davis (R-Ill) voted against H.R. 1425, the House Democrats' partisan health care legislation.

"New taxes and government price controls on prescription drugs will not address the skyrocketing costs of the American health care system," said Rep. Davis. "In the midst of a global pandemic where researchers are scrambling to find treatments and cures for COVID-19, we should not be hindering pharmaceutical manufacturers' abilities to innovate and make new prescription drugs. This partisan legislation does nothing to lower the overall cost of health care. Rather, it transfers a bulk of the costs to taxpayers. That's irresponsible."

"Again, I'm very disappointed in the partisan process Speaker Pelosi has chosen on a critical issue like health care reform," Rep. Davis continued. "This legislation will never be signed into law, and the Democrats know it. Speaker Pelosi is more concerned about garnering nice-sounding headlines for Democratic campaign literature rather than increasing the quality and affordability of health care for Americans. That's the wrong approach. I urge leaders in Congress to work together to achieve bipartisan health care reform. That's why I continue to work with lawmakers from both parties on legislation that helps Americans keep their doctors and health care coverage and protects coverage for those with pre-existing conditions."

Rep. Davis has worked with lawmakers from both parties to ensure Americans have access to affordable health care.

Recently, Rep. Davis teamed up with Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-Ore) and others to introduce the Health Care Protection Act, which helps Americans who lose their job keep their employer-sponsored health insurance and creates a 30-day special enrollment period on ACA exchanges.

Rep. Davis also supports alternative legislation to lower the costs of prescription drugs while ensuring America maintains its position as a global leader in drug innovation. H.R. 19, the Lower Costs, More Cures Act of 2019, lowers out of pocket spending, protects access to new cures and medications, strengthens transparency, and encourages competition.

Provisions of H.R. 965, the CREATES Act, which is bipartisan legislation that was signed into law last year, lowers the cost of prescription drugs by regulating anti-competitive practices of drug manufacturers that block the entry of low-cost generic drugs into the marketplace.

And last year, Rep. Davis introduced an amendment to an appropriations bill to prevent the executive branch from using federal funds to limit access to health care coverage for people with pre-existing conditions.

H.R. 1425 does not address the underlying issue with American health care - the skyrocketing cost of care. Rather than working to lower the cost of care, H.R. 1425 merely shifts the cost of care around to taxpayers and manufacturers of prescription drugs that treat and cure diseases.

H.R. 1425 is funded through provisions that were included in H.R. 3, which levies new taxes and establishes government price controls on manufacturers of prescription drugs. Last December, the Congressional Budget Office released a report that found the provisions in H.R. 3 will result in fewer new prescription drugs being developed and coming to the market. If enacted, H.R. 3 could slow down the discovery of potential treatments or cures to COVID-19.

You can find a one-pager on H.R. 1425 here https://rodneydavis.house.gov/UploadedFiles/H.R._1425_PPACA_Expansion_One-Pager.pdf.