Fighting Back

Editors' Choice, Fighting Back

Fighting Back: “We can save lives by passing the Elijah Cummings #LowerDrugCostsNow Act”

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The Weekly Democratic Party Address was delivered by Congresswoman Donna Shalala of Florida outlining the provisions of the Lower Drug Costs Now Act, H.R. 3, which would finally allow the federal government to negotiate prices with drug companies.

(In this week’s address, Congresswoman Donna Shalala discussed House Democrats’ sweeping legislation to tackle out-of-control prescription drug prices: H.R. 3, The Lower Drug Costs Now Act. )

In the United States today, a disease or chronic condition can force you into bankruptcy, or require you to choose between paying for medicine and paying for food or rent.

H.R. 3 makes reforms to reduce drug prices, to keep cost hikes to no more than inflation and to limit out-of-pocket costs for those on Medicare, on employer plans and private health insurance.

To help secure these patient protections, we will require our government to negotiate prices directly with drug companies. […]

“Only drug companies get to come to Medicare and set their own prices. Hospitals don’t get to do that; doctors don’t get to do that; home health care agencies don’t get to do that; medical equipment providers don’t get to do that.

“Negotiation is a hallmark of good governance and a standard feature of government policy. We negotiate for everything, including military equipment and work with contractors.

“It is only drug companies that are able to write themselves a blank check from taxpayers. Our legislation ends that practice.

(CSPAN link to Weekly Democratic Address: here)

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Editors' Choice, Fighting Back

Fighting Back: “Democrats will always put the American people first.” #ForThePeople

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The Weekly Democratic Party Address was delivered by Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware reminding everyone that Democrats will always put the American people first.

(In this week’s address, Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester discussed House Democrats’ sweeping new legislation to tackle out-of-control prescription drug prices: H.R. 3, The Lower Drug Costs Now Act.)

“Since January, Members of the House have worked to deliver on the promise [to lower health care costs and improve access to quality health care]. Through our For The People agenda, we further strengthened our nation’s health care system by building upon the Affordable Care Act.

“But we still have more work to do. This week, my colleagues and I are back in our districts, speaking to our constituents about the latest and boldest part of our For The People agenda: H.R. 3, The Lower Drug Costs Now Act.

“House Democrats are putting the American people first and directly addressing a broken system where Americans pay five, ten, sometimes 60 times more than others around the world pay for the same drug. Our dynamic approach to tackle our prescription drug system will bring prices down for seniors, for Americans using health care exchanges and even for the 180 million Americans with employer-sponsored coverage.” […]

“The bottom-line is that every American deserves high-quality affordable health care. We can do this, we must do this and, together, we will do this, For The People.

(CSPAN link to Weekly Democratic Address: here)

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Editors' Choice, Fighting Back

Fighting Back: “Republicans are diverting military funds towards building their president’s vanity wall.”

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The Weekly Democratic Party Address was delivered by Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois, calling out the Republican Party’s diversion of funds earmarked for military families towards building their president’s vanity wall.

No transcript of the address was provided but the CSPAN link has closed caption text: CSPAN link to Weekly Democratic Address: here.

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Editors' Choice, Fighting Back

Fighting Back: “Democrats are working for ALL the people.”

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The Weekly Democratic Party Address delivered by Representative Joaquin Castro of Texas discussed the work House Democrats are doing #ForThePeople to counter the discriminatory and harmful policies of Republicans.

(Congressman Joaquin Castro discussed the celebration of Hispanic Heritage month and the work House Democrats are doing For The People to counter the discriminatory and harmful policies of the Trump Administration.)

[The Latino community has] been a target – a target of a president’s prejudice, the target of smears and scolding when we speak Spanish in public. And sadly, the target of a mad man in Texas, who killed 22 in El Paso. […]

The Trump Administration has violated human rights and caused suffering of thousands at our Southern Border – tearing apart families, caging children, turning away asylum seekers who came here fleeing the most unimaginable circumstances.

This is personal to me – my own grandmother came here as an immigrant, a seven year old orphan who came to Texas from Mexico. She worked as a housekeeper, maid, a babysitter, and raised my mother, Rosie, who in turn became a community organizer in Texas.[…]

As we face adversity, we are not without hope. Nothing can diminish the deep, enduring perseverance that defines us as Latinos.

I know that our Hispanic communities are a strong and proud part of this country, and I will stand with you and fight for you.

(CSPAN link to Weekly Democratic Address: here)

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Editors' Choice, Fighting Back

Fighting Back: “Let’s get something done for the people who we love and want to protect.”

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The Weekly Democratic Party Address was delivered by Senator Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada asking that the Senate pass the Bipartisan Background Checks Act that 90% of Americans want – a bill being blocked by Republicans.

(Nearly two years after the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history, the Route 91 massacre in Las Vegas, Nevada, and as Senate Democrats continue to keep the pressure on Republican Leader McConnell and President Trump to take action on House-passed universal background checks legislation, Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) delivers this week’s Weekly Democratic address.)

“Universal background checks are an essential first step toward ensuring we reduce the number of mass shootings in America, keep guns out of the hands of those who shouldn’t have them, and save lives.

“We know that it can’t stop every tragedy, but this is a common sense, bipartisan bill that can save lives and reduce mass shootings in our country.

“My home state of Nevada passed background checks this year after Nevadans voted for them in 2016.

“Congress can get it done as well. My friend, Senator Chris Murphy has introduced legislation that would close loopholes on background checks and save lives, and the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives passed it almost 200 days ago. […]

“Yet, here in the Senate, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act hasn’t received a vote.

“Let’s actually come together and pass this bill in honor of all of the daughters, mothers, sons, fathers, sisters, brothers, and friends we have lost to senseless gun violence.

“And let’s get something done for the people in our lives we would do anything to protect and we could not bear to lose.

(CSPAN link to Weekly Democratic Address: here)

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Editors' Choice, Fighting Back

Fighting Back: “Democrats will fight those who are hijacking our Constitution to appease their racist base.”

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The Weekly Democratic Party Address was delivered by Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida decrying the Trump administrations diversion of funds earmarked for military families to build his racist border wall.

(Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida delivered the Weekly Democratic Address. In this week’s address, the Congresswoman highlighted Democrats’ commitment to fighting Trump’s decision to cancel vital military construction projects.)

“President Trump says he will steal $3.6 billion from projects that the military requested, and Congress appropriated funding for – and divert it to a xenophobic vanity wall project on our Southwest border.

“That $3.6 billion total, for context, is equal to nearly half of the entire Defense Department construction program.

“Let’s forget for a moment that the Constitution expressly forbids this: No President can spend funds not appropriated by Congress.

“Instead, focus on who he’s robbing to pay for this monument to intolerance: Our brave service members.

“Democrats will fight this hijacking aimed at our armed forces every way we can. We’re fighting For The People: to lower health costs and prescription drug prices; to raise wages by rebuilding America’s infrastructure; to clean up corruption to make Washington work for you.

(CSPAN link to Weekly Democratic Address: here)

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Editors' Choice, Fighting Back

Fighting Back: “Democrats are ready to lead on Gun Safety, on the Climate Crisis, on Health Care.” #VoteTheRepublicansOut

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The Weekly Democratic Party Address was delivered by Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio wishing working people a happy Labor Day and asking Senate Republicans to pass the gun safety laws that the American people want.

“Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) – Democratic Party Weekly Address”

“The President and Congressional Republicans need to stop stigmatizing mental illness, need to stop taking orders from the NRA, need to break their addiction to gun lobby money and need start acting to keep people safe.

People don’t have to keep dying, we have the power, we have the power in Congress right now to stop it. This shouldn’t be a Republican issue, it shouldn’t be a Democratic issue – this is about keeping Americans safe in their homes, in their workplaces, in their churches, in their schools.”

(CSPAN link to Weekly Democratic Address: here)

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Editors' Choice, Fighting Back

Fighting Back: “Democrats are working #ForThePeople.”

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The Weekly Democratic Party Address was delivered by Congressman Dean Phillips of Minnesota reminding folks once again that the Democrats in the House have passed legislation #ForThePeople and it is being blocked in the Senate by Republicans.

(Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) highlighted progress House Democrats have made For The People, including the passage of H.R. 1, the For The People Act, an historic reform package to restore the promise of our nation’s democracy.)

When we passed the For The People Act, to loosen the grip of special interests on Washington, Mitch McConnell once again refused to act, almost certainly because he knows what keeps him in power: special interests and the unjust laws that disenfranchise way too many American voters.

We’re here to work For The People: to lower health care costs and prescription drug prices, to raise wages by building the infrastructure throughout our country and cleaning up corruption to make Washington work for you.

(CSPAN link to Weekly Democratic Address: here)

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Editors' Choice, Fighting Back

Fighting Back: “Thoughts and prayers are not enough. It’s time for action.”

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The Weekly Democratic Party Address was delivered by Rep. Jim McGovern, calling out Mitch McConnell, the vile man who is bursting with pride over his legislative graveyard – while mothers are literally burying their children.

(Congressman Jim McGovern urged Leader McConnell call the Senate back into session and take up House-passed, commonsense, bipartisan gun violence prevention legislation that will save lives following the deadly shootings in Gilroy, El Paso and Dayton.)

“America is the only developed country in the world where massacres like these happen on a regular basis.

“President Trump and Republicans can blame video games or mental illness all they want. Other countries play video games and deal with mental illness, but only here, in America, have mass shootings become the new normal. I wish they would just tell the truth: this is about guns.

“You know, in many states, it’s easier to get a gun than it is to register to vote. And weapons of war can be bought in virtually the blink of an eye – without a background check.

“This isn’t by accident. The gun lobby has spent millions bankrolling their allies in Congress so they can slash any kind of sensible gun safety laws.

(CSPAN link to Weekly Democratic Address: here)

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Editors' Choice, Fighting Back

Fighting Back: “Democrats are fighting to protect your health care.”

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The Weekly Democratic Party Address was delivered by Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut reminding people that there is only one political party that cares if you have affordable health care.

(Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT)

“Democrats are fighting to protect your health care by opposing Trump’s junk plans and his dangerous lawsuit. Because to us, there’s nothing political about making sure everybody gets good, affordable health coverage.”

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