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RICHMOND, Va. – A few weeks before Virginia’s Election Day, Democratic candidates on the ballot this November pledged their support for establishing a Prescription Drug Affordability Board (PDAB) in the upcoming legislative session. These four candidates are among the 85 total bipartisan nominees who have declared support for a PDAB, including 61 candidates for House of Delegates and 24 candidates for Virginia Senate, according to a Freedom Virginia 2023 candidate questionnaire.
A PDAB is an independent board of experts with the power to cap the prices of certain high-cost prescription drugs.
Sharing how rising prescription drug costs have affected their families and communities, candidates from Loudoun to Norfolk to Richmond to Piedmont spoke directly to voters about their commitment to fight for commonsense policies that lower costs and help people keep more of what they earn.
The following candidates shared their messages on Twitter today:
Delegate Suhas Subramanyam (Democratic candidate for Senate District 32)
Delegate Angelia Williams Graves (Democratic candidate for Senate District 21)
Amy Laufer (Democratic candidate for House District 55)
Rae Cousins (Democratic candidate for House District 79)
Establishing a PDAB has the support of 82 percent of Virginia voters, including strong majorities of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents. High drug costs are impacting Virginia families across the state, with 1 in 4 Virginia residents skipping or rationing their prescription drug medication due to high costs. During the 2023 legislative session, the bill passed the Senate with bipartisan support but was killed in the Republican-controlled House of Delegates.
Gov. Youngkin’s Spirit of Virginia PAC recently accepted a $60,000 contribution from PhRMA, the lead opponents of this bill who fought against attempts to lower medicine costs. |
