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REPUBLICAN PRESS RELEASE

May 16, 2007

Buyer: Veterans will face increase in drug costs

Washington D.C. — Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Ranking Member Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) today said that House Majority members who oppose fees and copays for veterans without service-connected illnesses have now refused to allow his amendment preserving low VA drug prices for these same veterans.

“Democrats apparently don’t make the connection that higher drug costs for VA could drive up drug copays for veterans,” Buyer said.

Buyer’s amendment to H.R. 1585, the National Defense Authorization Act, would have required the Secretary of Defense to certify to VA and Congress that one of the act’s provisions authorizing DoD access to VA’s deep pharmaceutical discounts would not cause an increase in VA drug prices.

“Heedlessly increasing the discount ‘pool’ could cause an overall increase in pricing. It has happened in the past. Veterans will pay the price, and they have Democrats to thank,” Buyer said.

Rules Committee Chairwoman Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.) also refused Buyer’s amendment to the bill that would ensure TRICARE beneficiaries access to needed medicines if the Secretary of Defense decides to exclude them form the Pentagon’s pharmacy benefits program.

“I want to guarantee servicemembers, military retirees and their families access to the medicines they need and earned; House Democrats just said ‘no’,” Buyer said.

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Larry Scott

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