Over my past two terms serving the people of Virginia, the dominant concern facing Virginians has been the ability to afford and access healthcare coverage and lifesaving prescription drugs.

I believe no one should have to choose between putting food on the table and getting the care, medication, or treatments they need because of rising prescription drug costs. No one should lose or be denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition like diabetes or cancer, and no one fighting a serious illness should face the fear of lifetime coverage caps.

In conversations across our Virginia communities, I’ve repeatedly heard from our neighbors about the personal impacts of skyrocketing prescription drug prices. That’s why I was proud to vote for the Inflation Reduction Act that will finally give Medicare the power to negotiate drug prices, allow Virginia’s seniors to see Medicare out-of-pocket drug prices capped at $2,000 per year, and cap insulin prices for Medicare beneficiaries at $35 per month. For far too long, Virginia’s seniors have felt the burden of sky-high prescription drug costs. In Congress, we answered those calls.

Additionally, I’ve been proud to lead bipartisan legislation passed in the U.S. House that would bring greater transparency to prescription drug negotiations and help hold drug industry middlemen accountable for contributing to price hikes.

And as the country returns to normal after the COVID-19 pandemic, we are still faced with another pandemic: the substance abuse disorder crisis. During the pandemic, Virginia saw record rates of drug overdoses and overdose-related deaths. To combat this crisis, I have championed programs that expand local access to treatment, and I have proudly worked directly with community leaders, law enforcement officials, religious organizations, and healthcare professionals to provide effective prevention, treatment, and recovery services to those impacted.

We can improve our healthcare system, while lowering costs, protecting coverage, and achieving better outcomes, but it requires tremendous political will and a commitment to look at our options creatively.

• Voted to pass the Inflation Reduction Act – signed into law – which lowers drug costs for Virginia seniors by giving Medicare the power to negotiate drug prices and capping Medicare out-of-pocket drug costs at $2,000 per year.


• Introduced bipartisan legislation to help increase domestic production of generic drugs, prevent shortages, and reduce U.S. dependence on China for essential medicines.


• Helped introduce and pass legislation in the U.S. House to cap the out-of-pocket cost of insulin at $35 per month.


• Led the introduction of the Public Disclosure of Drug Discounts Act — which passed in the U.S. House by a vote of 403 to 0 — to hold drug companies accountable.


• Cosponsored and voted twice to pass the Lower Drug Costs Now Act, which would give Medicare the power to negotiate drug prices.


• Cosponsored and passed legislation to protect Virginians with pre-existing conditions.


• Introduced bipartisan legislation to level the playing field for generic drugs and crack down on “patent gaming.”


• Led several efforts pushing back against drug companies that are illegally raising prescription drug costs for rural healthcare providers and hospitals.


• Brought the President of the United States to Virginia’s Seventh District, so that families who are struggling to afford their medications could tell their stories directly to him.


• Convened multiple prescription drug-focused town halls and district-wide healthcare tours in the Seventh District.