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RICHMOND, Va. — Freedom Virginia today released the following statement in response to Governor Abigail Spanberger’s intention to veto first-in-the-nation legislation – the Affordable Medicine Act, SB271, patroned by Senator Creigh Deeds (D-Charlottesville) and HB483, patroned by Delegate Karrie Delaney (D-Fairfax) – that would have lowered the cost of medicine for hundreds of thousands of Virginians by extending Medicare’s Maximum Fair Prices for certain high-cost prescription drugs to those not on Medicare and saved hardworking people across the commonwealth nearly $100 million annually:
“This is more than just a veto of a piece of legislation; this is the governor showing her true priorities and betraying the message she’s been touting since her time in Congress, that she wants to lower the cost of medicine. Similar legislation was vetoed under the previous governor, each time vetoed with a statement that parrots Big Pharma talking points, and today is no different. Each reason given for today’s veto should have been outweighed by the savings this legislation was guaranteed to bring Virginians.
“Spanberger said it herself in Congress and again on the campaign trail, Virginians are spending far too much money on prescription drugs, and pharmaceutical companies keep raising prices even faster than inflation. In 2022 after voting for the Inflation Reduction Act, she said she was proud of her vote to finally give Medicare the ability to negotiate with drug companies to lower costs and claimed that it wouldn’t just save seniors money but would save everyone money on their health care costs. Since then, she has known the financial challenges Virginians face at home and at the pharmacy counter and said time and time again how she would prioritize making medicine more affordable for her constituents if elected as governor. It’s beyond disappointing that now as governor she has chosen to flip flop and veto legislation that would have extended those same lower prices she was proud to vote for to even more Virginians.
“In the General Assembly, 129 legislators came together across the aisle and nearly unanimously voted for the Affordable Medicine Act to go to the governor’s desk. The legislation had massive bipartisan support for the same reasons; they know how much people are struggling with costs, and they knew this legislation was the strongest vehicle to deliver Virginians tangible savings on high-cost prescription drugs. Republicans and Democrats alike recognized the opportunity this legislation gave them to take meaningful action on a problem that affects us all, and they passed it.
“The veto of this legislation underscores a bigger problem in Virginia, a risk-averse approach to governing that will only harm hardworking people and their families in the end. The governor has a pattern of talking big but not taking action, and her veto of the Affordable Medicine Act is the latest example. No matter her intentions, by vetoing this legislation, she is signaling to Big Pharma – a major donor to her Inauguration – that she is willing to do their bidding, even at the expense of her constituents. By taking the safe way out, the governor has set Virginia back and, more importantly, has jeopardized the very affordability she campaigned on.
“We are thankful to patrons Senator Creigh Deeds and Delegate Karrie Delaney for not backing down from the fight, and we are especially thankful to each and every legislator, Republican and Democrat alike, who stuck their neck out for a piece of legislation they truly believed in. We are also grateful to every Virginian who has ever shared their story in support of this legislation. The cost of medicine won’t come down on its own, and we look forward to the day Virginia finally has affordable medicine.”
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