Targeting Big Pharma Price Gouging, Sanders Backs California Ballot Fight

[kadaholo]

Source: CommonDreams by Staff Writer Jon Queally

Backing a citizen-led initiative to combat soaring drugs prices in California, Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders on Tuesday endorsed a ballot proposal designed to curb what he described as a corporate "rip-off" of the state's sick and vulnerable.

"It is no surprise that the pharmaceutical industry has already dedicated $50 million to defeat this ballot initiative. Their greed has no end. Enough is enough! Drug companies shouldn’t be allowed to make billions of dollars in profits off of people with cancer and AIDS who are in desperate need of lifesaving drugs. I hope very much that this ballot initiative passes." —Bernie Sanders"While Congress has failed to stand up to the greed of the pharmaceutical industry, the people of California can by supporting this ballot initiative," Sanders said while campaigning in the state on Tuesday.

Called the California Drug Price Relief Act, the measure in question, as described by the San Francisco Chronicle, "would restrict California health programs from paying more for prescription drugs than what’s paid by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs." Given the enormous leverage of the VA, those drug prices are often the lowest available anywhere in the nation.

Backed by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the National Nurses United (NNU), and Californians for Lower Drug Prices campaign, voters will have a chance to vote on the initiative in November after supporters collected more than half a million signatures to get it on the ballot.



Read more: http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/05/10/targeting-big-pharma-price-gouging-sanders-backs-california-ballot-fight

[rhett o rick]

1. Did I hear that Clinton is siding with Big Pharma?

[Jitter65]

7. Nope. She was on this long ago.

http://time.com/4053191/hillary-clinton-pharma-abuse/

http://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/washingtonbureau/2015/09/pharmaceutical-industry-blasts-hillary-clintons.html

http://www.politico.com/story/2015/09/hillary-clinton-prescription-drugs-health-care-213910

[MisterP]

2. can the "big tent" really afford to have Martin Shkreli Democrats inside it?

[IDemo]

4. We have Henry Kissinger and Lloyd Blankfein Democrats, why not?

[MisterP]

5. hey, her constituency includes several liberal Latinos!

[Dont call me Shirley]

3. For-Profit Healthcare needs to become illegal.

[passiveporcupine]

6. I hope this ballot makes it.

I wish every state would do this.

Somebody has got to do something to stop these thieves.