,,iii #aagth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #aea ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,april #ac1 #bjba,mr4 ,merkley 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,sanders1 ,ms4 ,warren1 and ,mr4 ,booker7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions ,,resolution ,calling on the ,president and the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services to take action to lower prescription drug costs4 ,whereas the ,united ,states is facing a pandemic1 and economic crisis1 caused by the ,coronavirus ,disease #bjai 7,,covid-#ai7 that threatens the health and financial well-being of nearly every family in the ,united ,states2 ,whereas even before the ,,covid-#ai pandemic1 consumers and patients in the ,united ,states were charged higher prices for prescription drugs than consumers and patients in other countries around the world2 ,whereas families in the ,united ,states continue to face financial hardship from unaffordable out-of-pocket costs and higher premiums that have been exacerbated by an economic crisis and losses in employer-sponsored health coverage2 ,whereas #h in #aj individuals in the ,united ,states say the cost of prescriptions is unreasonable1 and nearly #c in #aj individuals across the ,united ,states are rationing their medicine due to high prescription drug costs2 ,whereas the prescription drug cost crisis has put families at risk for poor health outcomes1 increasing the likelihood of complications from a severe case of ,,covid-#ai for those families2 ,whereas even before the ,,covid-#ai pandemic1 people of color1 including ,black1 ,brown1 and indigenous people1 were disproportionately impacted by high prescription drug costs1 which was due in part to a higher prevalence of chronic conditions in those populations that require expensive prescription drugs2 ,whereas people of color1 including ,black1 ,brown1 and indigenous people1 are dying at much higher rates as a result of ,,covid-#ai1 and other diseases1 for which affordable prescription drugs can and should be available2 ,whereas any price gouging by pharmaceutical companies is a root cause of health disparities in the ,united ,states2 ,whereas nearly #a in #c individuals in the ,united ,states facing increased prescription drug costs spend less on basic necessities1 including groceries1 to account for that increased prescription drug cost2 ,whereas approximately #be percent of the monthly premium for a health care consumer in the ,united ,states goes to prescription drug costs2 ,whereas more than #a in #d health care consumers decline other medical tests or procedures1 or put off a visit to the doctor's office1 because of increased prescription drug costs2 ,whereas pharmaceutical companies abuse monopoly control granted by the ,federal ,government1 in the form of patents and regulatory exclusivities1 to limit competition and raise prescription drug costs2 ,whereas #h out of #aj new drug patents are for slight modifications to existing drugs1 not for innovating new drug products2 ,whereas #i out of #aj of the largest pharmaceutical companies spend more on sales and marketing than on researching new drugs2 ,whereas each of the #cef drugs approved by the ,food and ,drug ,administration between #bjaj and #bjai was developed through taxpayer-funded research conducted by the ,national ,institutes of ,health2 ,whereas the #ah pharmaceutical companies on the ,s,p #ejj spent more money on stock buybacks and dividends than on research and development between #bjji and #bjah2 ,whereas the pharmaceutical and medical products industry spent #bie1jjj1jjj on lobbying in #bjai1 more than any other industry and nearly double the next closest industry2 ,whereas the pharmaceutical industry employs more lobbyists than there are ,members of ,congress2 ,whereas the #be largest pharmaceutical companies in the ,united ,states achieve an average profit margin above #bj percent1 more than twice the average profit margin of the other #ejj largest companies in the ,united ,states2 ,whereas pharmaceutical spending growth in the ,united ,states is projected to outpace inflation for the foreseeable future2 ,whereas pharmaceutical companies raised the price of #bde drugs in the first #e months of the ,,covid-#ai pandemic1 with the average price increase being #bc4h percent2 ,whereas #fa of the #bde prescription drugs that saw price hikes during the first months of the ,,covid-#ai pandemic were being used to treat ,,covid-#ai1 and another #cj drugs were undergoing clinical trials for use against that virus2 ,whereas nearly #i in #aj adults in the ,united ,states said they were concerned the pharmaceutical industry would use the pandemic to raise prescription drug prices2 ,whereas the ,united ,states spends twice as much money on prescription drugs when compared to other economically comparable countries1 including ,canada1 ,france1 and the ,united ,kingdom1 despite purchasing fewer drugs per individual2 ,whereas adults in the ,united ,states consistently rank the pharmaceutical industry as their least liked industry1 with the industry being ranked less favorably than the oil1 banking1 and airline industries2 ,whereas #h out of #aj adults in the ,united ,states say prescription drug costs are unreasonable and driven by the desire for profits by pharmaceutical companies2 ,whereas the ,president can license generic competition with patented products when it is in the public interest1 including to combat abusive price gouging by large pharmaceutical companies2 ,whereas the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services 7referred to in this preamble as the ,secretary7 can require reasonable pricing in return for receiving ,federal funding and other support for research and development2 and ,whereas the ,president and the ,secretary can lower prescription drug prices under existing law and authorities3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 recognizes the authority of the ,president and the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services 7referred to in this resolution as the ,secretary7 to lower prescription drug prices2 7#b7 calls on the ,president and the ,secretary to take administrative action to lower prescription drug prices under existing law and authorities1 including-- 7,a7 ,federal ,government use1 pursuant to section #adih7;a7 of title #bh1 ,united ,states ,code2 7,b7 march-in rights1 pursuant to section #bjc of title #ce1 ,united ,states ,code2 7,c7 royalty-free rights1 pursuant to sections #bjb7;c77#d7 and #bji7;d77#a7 of title #ce1 ,united ,states ,code2 7,d7 the ,center for ,medicare and ,medicaid ,innovation1 established by section #aaae;,a7a77#a7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acae;a7a77#a772 and 7,e7 all other existing law and authorities2 and 7#c7 encourages the ,president to use existing law and authorities to align prescription drug prices in the ,united ,states with drug prices in other economically comparable countries1 including ,canada1 ,france1 the ,united ,kingdom1 ,japan1 and ,germany4