Grassley Urges Congress to Pass Bipartisan Bills to Lower Drug Costs

Floor Remarks by Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa Senate President Pro Tempore “ Congress Needs to Pass Bipartisan Prescription Drug Legislation to Lower Drug Costs ” Wednesday, June 17, 2026 VIDEO Last year, the Senate Judiciary Committee marked up and passed out of committee six bipartisan bills that address the high cost of prescription drugs and the abusive practices that keep prices high for too many American families. The bills simply put a stop to anticompetitive tactics. Why? So cheaper drugs can enter the market. These bills also increase transparency and accountability for the prescription drug supply. [With] these bills, we strengthen agency collaboration, and we strengthen the patent process. We curb the use of sham citizen petitions to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), so it’s easier for generics to obtain approval and get generics to the market quicker. We end the pay-for-delay deals. These deals keep brand-name drug companies from paying generic companies to keep cheaper options off the market. So, you keep the price of the patent drug higher for a longer period of time. Lastly, we require the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to finish the work it started in studying [the] impact [of] pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). These bills will help make prescription drugs more affordable for patients who need them. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has reported that these bills collectively would save over $2 billion. We need the Senate to act on these bills, and I’ll continue pushing to fix a broken system and lower drug costs. -30-