Sanders Campaign Press Release - Sanders Spotlights Seniors in New Hampshire

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. – Focusing on critical issues for seniors, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders on Friday blasted outrageous price spikes by drugmakers and pressed for Congress to pass his plan to strengthen and expand Social Security.

In remarks prepared for a keynote speech at a Democratic Party dinner here, Sanders said Medicare must be allowed to negotiate with drug companies to bring down costs to consumers and taxpayers. He also said Americans who pay the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs should be allowed to purchase medicine from Canada and other countries.

Sanders also called for strengthening and expanding Social Security and slammed Republican White House hopefuls who would dismantle the successful retirement and disability program.

On prescription drugs, Sanders has introduced legislation to rein in prices that jumped more than 12 percent last year, the highest in a decade. "Americans should not have to live in fear that they will go bankrupt if they get sick. People should not have to go without the medication they need just because their elected officials aren't willing to challenge the drug and health care lobby," Sanders said. He noted that the pharmaceutical industry spent nearly $230 million on lobbying last year, $65 million more than any other industry, and employed more than 1,400 registered lobbyists.

Legislation filed in the Senate by Sanders and by Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) in the House would authorize the U.S. Health and Human Services Department to negotiate drug prices with pharmaceutical companies. The bills also would stiffen penalties for drug companies that commit fraud and lower barriers to the importation of less expensive drugs from Canada and other countries.

Sanders and Cummings also have questioned spiraling prices for generic drugs, including a 62-year-old drug Daraprim that recently shot up in price from $13.50 a tablet to $750 a tablet before public outcry forced the drugmaker to back down.

On Social Security, Sanders said the successful program has a $2.8 trillion surplus and will be able to pay all benefits promised to every eligible recipient until 2033.

In New Hampshire, Social Security lifted 90,000 people out of poverty in 2013. The average Social Security benefit was $14,987 in 2014. Without Social Security, more than 41 percent of the elderly in New Hampshire, including more than 45 percent of senior women, would be living in poverty. With Social Security, the elderly poverty rate in New Hampshire is just 5.1 percent.

Sanders said the most effective way to strengthen Social Security for the future is to make millionaires and billionaires pay the same share of their income as everyone else. Instead of capping income subject to the payroll tax at $118,500, as current law does, Sanders would make those earning $250,000 and up, the top 1.5 percent of wage earners, pay the same share into Social Security.

Republican presidential candidates have their own plans for Social Security. They would cut benefits. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Sens. Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, Rand Paul and Lindsey Graham all have suggested raising the retirement age and cut benefits. Proposals to privatize the system have been advanced by many of those candidates and by Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal.

To read what Republican candidates say about Social Security, click here.

To read more about Sen. Sanders' call to strengthen and expand Social Security, click here.

To read more about Sen. Sanders' prescription drug plan, click here.