Harris campaign: Eau Claire leaders highlight Vice President Harris' fight to lower costs for working families

Today in Eau Claire, Local leaders and community members held a press conference to highlight Vice President Harris' efforts to reduce costs for Wisconsin families by standing up to the pharmaceutical industry and lowering prescription drug prices for Wisconsinites.

The press conference comes just one day after the White House announced historic Medicare negotiations that will lower prices on 10 of the most expensive and commonly used drugs. This measure is just one of many that Vice President Harris and the Biden-Harris administration have already taken to lower healthcare costs for seniors, including capping insulin costs at $35 per month and making recommended vaccinations free. Vice President Harris and Governor Walz will build on this historic progress and lower healthcare 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 history of putting Big Pharma and his own political agenda ahead of the well-being of Wisconsinites. His “Project 2025” includes plans to roll back protections for pre-existing conditions and increase prescription drug costs, further undermining access to affordable health care.

“Vice President Harris led the fight to expand Medicaid coverage for the postpartum period from two to 12 months, demonstrating her commitment to broader health care access and support,” said State Senator Jeff Smith. “And by maintaining and expanding these policies, we know Vice President Harris will continue to ease the financial burden on families, continue the fight against excessive health care costs, and ensure that every American can benefit from the progress made under the current administration.”

“For years, politicians have tried to allow Medicare to negotiate directly with drug manufacturers to get lower prices for seniors and people with disabilities like me, but the pharmaceutical industry blocked them. As a result, people like me have had to choose between food on the table and the medicine they need to survive,” said Kristin Deprey, an Eau Claire resident. “President Biden and Vice President Harris finally got it done with the Inflation Reduction Act – with Vice President Harris having the deciding vote. And yesterday, Vice President Harris and the administration announced lower prescription prices for the first ten drugs negotiated by Medicare for the first time in history.”

“Under Donald Trump's presidency, already high drug prices continued to rise. Despite his numerous promises to address the problem, Trump and his Republican allies in Congress obstructed every reform effort. Instead, they gave the pharmaceutical industry significant tax breaks, allowing drug companies to prioritize profits for shareholders and CEOs while continually raising 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, proposes eliminating the $35 cap on insulin for seniors. Those prices would immediately go back up, and price caps on many other drugs would be eliminated.