WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and a bipartisan group of her colleagues introduced the Safe and Affordable Drugs from Canada Act, which would allow Americans to safely import prescription drugs from Canada, lowering costs, increasing access for consumers, and creating more competition in the pharmaceutical market. “Big drug companies are ripping off Americans and far too many families in Wisconsin are struggling to afford the prescription drugs they need to stay healthy —it’s just not right,” said Senator Baldwin. “I am proud to work with my Democratic and Republican colleagues to help lower costs for Wisconsinites and ensure they can get the medications they need at a price they can afford.” Senator Baldwin has long championed bringing down prescription drug costs. In August 2022, Senator Baldwin helped pass the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to lower health care and prescription drug costs for older adults, people with disabilities, and families across the nation. Starting in January 2023, the IRA capped the cost of insulin for Medicare Part D beneficiaries at $35 a month for certain covered insulin products. The Baldwin-backed IRA also empowered Medicare to negotiate for lower drug prices with 25 drugs that treat diabetes, cancers, and asthma currently under negotiation with more to come. The cost-savings for the first 10 drugs will go into effect in 2026 and is estimated to save taxpayers $6 billion a year. Senator Baldwin also launched an investigation into the extremely high prices four large pharmaceutical companies charge for inhalers that 25 million Americans with asthma and 16 million Americans with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) rely on to breathe. In just two months after the investigation was launched, three of the four pharmaceutical companies capped their out-of-pocket costs for their inhaler products at $35 per month in the United States. The bill is led by Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and co-sponsored by Senators Angus King (I-ME), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).
