Jacob Ogles
Democrats hope a vote against lowering insulin costs keeps U.S. Sen. Rick Scott’s blood pressure high.
The Florida Democratic Party held a press conference to slam the Naples Republican for voting down on legislation to reduce drug costs. U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, a Tampa Democrat, headlined the presser. From a podium at the Health Matters Community Pharmacy in Tampa, she specifically criticized the Senator for failing to help diabetic Floridians.
“He voted against capping the price of insulin. He voted against allowing Medicare to negotiate fair prices. He has never been on the side of working people,” Castor said.
“He’s put Medicare in his sights. Rick Scott always sides with Big Pharma and the big drug companies over the best interest of our neighbors, and it’s time for us to do something about it.”
The call was joined by state lawmakers and medical experts.
“My patients, along with 4 million Florida seniors on Medicare Part D, depend on this critical program to get medicine that would otherwise be too expensive to afford. That’s why I’m disgusted by Rick Scott’s attacks on seniors’ health care,” said Amber Williams-Bank, a compounding pharmacist at Health Matters.
For Scott’s part, he called the insulin bill he and 42 other Republicans voted against a partisan ploy. He introduced legislation in 2019 requiring price transparency on prescription drugs that he has said will be more successful in reducing medication costs for Americans.
Scott has also repeatedly said he opposes ending Medicare, but that attack persists more than two years after he released a controversial Republican Midterm agenda that called for sunsetting and reviewing all federal programs after five years.
But state Rep. Susan Valdés, a Tampa Democrat, said Scott’s personal history with Medicare shows he can’t be trusted with reforming health care.
“Floridians shouldn’t be surprised by his behavior and his history of attacking health care,” she said. “We all remember: He oversaw the largest Medicare fraud in history and wrote the plan to end Social Security and Medicare programs.”
Vondalyn Wright, owner of Health Matters, pointedly said the best way to improve health care for her patients may be to replace Senators. Scott is up for re-election this year and is expected to win an Aug. 20 GOP Primary. Democrats will choose a nominee the same day, with former U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell leading in fundraising.
“Rick Scott is one of the wealthiest members of Congress, but he doesn’t think my patients deserve to receive their medications without going bankrupt. That’s why we need a change,” Wright said. “We need a Senator who will fight to lower prescription drug costs and make health care more affordable. Rick Scott has turned his back on my patients and he needs to go.”
