'How did you get elected?': Twitter hammers hypocritical GOP 'outrage clown' for opposing insulin price cap
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Brandon GageApril 01, 2022
The United States House of Representatives on Thursday evening passed legislation that would cap the cost of insulin at $35 per month, ensuring that diabetic Americans are never denied access to the life-saving medication due to price. The stand-alone measure was originally included in President Joe Biden's Build Back Better Act, which died in the Senate earlier this year.
"Experts say it costs less than $10 a vial to manufacture, yet there are still American families with insurance paying hundreds of dollars per vial of insulin. Currently, costs for patients can range from $334 to $1,000 a month for insulin, according to a 2020 Kaiser Family Foundation report," ABC News reported.
"The bill caps cost-sharing for a month's supply of insulin starting in 2023 at whichever amount is lower: $35, or 25% of a plan's negotiated price, according to the bill's text," the outlet added. "The bill does not lower the overall price of insulin; it would likely shift more of the cost onto insurers and employers."
The vote was a bipartisan 232-193, with 12 Republicans joining a united Democratic majority. The bill now heads to the Senate.
Among the dissenters in the GOP's right-wing caucus was House Energy and Commerce Committee ranking member Cathy McMorris Rodgers, who represents Washington State's 5th Congressional District. Rodgers, a staunch social conservative, complained during a speech on the House floor that protecting patients by lowering their prescription drug costs is a bad thing. The 9th-term lawmaker also wondered what other essential consumer products could be on the government's watchlist.
"Today, it's the government fixing the price on insulin. What's next? Gas? Food? History tells us that price-fixing doesn't work," she said.
Watch below:
Rodgers: Today, it\u2019s the government fixing the price on insulin. What\u2019s next? Gas?pic.twitter.com/QDStfQOeOq — Acyn (@Acyn) 1648751408
In addition to McMorris Rodgers' apparent aversion to preventing people from dying from lack of access to necessary treatments, Twitter pointed out that her hypocrisy on the topic of "price-fixing" was on full display.
These people have literally been bitching about Joe Biden not fixing the price of gas for months. — Ashlee Explains It All (@Ashlee Explains It All) 1648754229
So let\u2019s clarify: she wants people to continue to pay thousands more per year for insulin than in any other country, to keep paying gas prices artificially inflated by the gas companies, and pay higher prices for food which she has no doubt been falsely blaming Biden for? — Kim Goodspeed \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Kim Goodspeed \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1648752223
What's next, Rodgers, is that you should find a soul and start behaving like a decent human being. Doesn't bother you, does it, that millions of Americans cannot afford Pharma outrageously high drug prices? Doesn't bother you one bit, does it? How did you get elected? #Insulin — Richard Ingham Evans (@Richard Ingham Evans) 1648758211
And haven\u2019t GOP been yelling for a month that Biden should fix the problem of high gas prices? \n\nOutrage clowns. All of the them. — Paige Carita (@Paige Carita) 1648755623
I don\u2019t understand why a healthy citizenry and saving lives is less important than increasing #BigPharma profits to this Party? #insulinhttps://twitter.com/acyn
What\u2019s next? Voting against a bill that was great for the Country, but when you realize constitutes love it, you then brag about the bill, taking credit for it, as if your voting record isn\u2019t public record. \n#WhatsNext #ThatFeltGoodpic.twitter.com/D05jgIRhwI — x-Jane Allen
the gop will defend to their death every penny any corporation makes on their product no matter who it might kill or deform. insulin too high? too bad, you shouldn't have gotten diabetes when you didn't have the money to pay for the meds. sorry. — hank with a long memory and a short temper (@hank with a long memory and a short temper) 1648758492
As a member of Congress, McMorris Rodgers has exclusive access to the very best taxpayer-funded healthcare. But her attitude toward her constituents is straight-up indifference.
Well she beat out Boebert.\nSo this is officially...pic.twitter.com/CEDe9UFxgp — Granny\ud83d\udc99\ud83d\udc9b\ud83c\udf3b (@Granny\ud83d\udc99\ud83d\udc9b\ud83c\udf3b) 1648751822
America: People who enjoy the luxury of top tier lifetime medical coverage for themselves and their families, at taxpayer expense, should have no phucking say when it comes to life saving drug prices. Heres an idea. Lower the cost of insulin. Raise the price of Viagra — TIDE ROLLER (@TIDE ROLLER) 1648766033
People like her are the reason I had to start talking to my kyoung child about insurance. They\u2019re perfectly ok with fleecing people with a costly disease even though it\u2019s less than $10 to make & the patent was sold a century ago for $1 to make insulin accessible for all. — Chriss (@Chriss) 1648754239
Republicans: "Today, it's the government trying to help people afford life-saving medicine. What's next. Lower taxes? A livable wage? Where does it end?" — John Andreini (@John Andreini) 1648759112
She's voted like this for years and her district keeps reelecting her. She has best healthcare for herself and her family (including a son with special needs) yet she doesn't seem to be concerned about her constituents. \n#Shameful — Sheryl (@Sheryl) 1648768701
And then there\u2019s the hypocrisy\u2026Christ Almighty how do they live with themselves? — Michael Charbonneau (@Michael Charbonneau) 1648758756
Cathy Rodgers to English translation: "If you have diabetes, I don't care if you go broke." — Tony Engel (@Tony Engel) 1648767567
Follow the money.
"Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers received $50,000 from the pharmaceutical industry in the first six months of 2021. She was chosen this year to be the most senior Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has significant influence on pharmaceutical issues." — Annie Tomlin (@Annie Tomlin) 1648766808
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That's criminal.
Could it be possible that Big Money elects many of our 'government employees' rather than the citizens?
Perhaps Rep. Rogers has an inordinate duty to protect the interests of the pharmaceutical industry from daylight?
Sadly, it’s easy to not give a shit about other people’s problems if they don’t affect you personally. Perhaps that’s human nature at the level of individuals, but if you’re literally incapable of caring about other people’s problems, you shouldn’t be a public servant.
This is nothing new for the Republican Party. Back in the early and mid eighties it was Reagan's policy of Benign Neglect of persons with disabilities and other medical issues such as AIDS.
What a horse's ass. I hope she never needs insulin.
The moron brigade of the left strikes again. Can't go after those mean, nasty, drug companies- too many politicians on both sides invested far too heavily in stocks; and in the back pockets of big pharma lobbyists.
So what did the Democrats fix; jack shit of nothing. They have simply transferred the excessive cost of the insulin to insurance companies- that will pass that cost on to all of the employers that use them; and onto the individually insured; with higher premiums. Insurance companies won't lose a damn cent. Employers will reduce salary; cut employees; or increase price (maybe all 3) to offset the cost.
Great thinking; and they wonder why people are blaming Democrats for inflation.
Want a problem fixed- don't let politicians get near it; especially f'ing Democrats.
"Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies."
Ernest Benn