billnder, maggie hassan, cassidy, john barrasso, and representatives kevin brady, devon nunez, and greg walden. [applause] president trump: my administration is already taken decisive action to make health care more affordable for american families. we have vastly expanded lower cost health insurance plans happening and it has been an incredible success. we began a bold initiative to reduce the price of prescription drugs. the year, drug prices saw first decline in 46 years that drug prices have gone down. longwill be going down a way further. including the fact that we may allow states to buy drugs in other countries if we can buy them for a lesser price. that will be very unique. we will allow them to go to other countries because the drug companies have treated us very unfairly. the rules and restrictions within our country have been absolutely atrocious. will allow them with certain permissions to go to other countries if they can buy them for 60% less. it is pretty pathetic, but that is the way it works. many yearsry -- for drug companies gave foreign countries better deals than they gave

energy and commerce ranking member greg walden offered an amendment to more appropriately title the bill, this bill has nothing to do with protecting americans with pre-existing conditions act. i hope this amendment will alert members to the partisan word play of the democrats when we should be focusing on improving health -- the health insurance marketplace. taking flexibility away from states is one step closer to a single payer government-run health care system, and the single payer government-run health care system would only further deteriorate our nation's health care. the affordable care act was one step in that direction, and while it is clear the affordable care act has proven to be nothing but affordable for americans, section 1332 waivers would have allowed states the flexibility to employ innovation that works for their citizens. to date, eight states, alaska, hawaii, maine, maryland, minnesota, new jersey, oregon, and wisconsin have approved state innovation waivers, and seven have created their own reinsurance programs. premiums in these states -- and this is important. pre

alexander, maggie hassan, bill cassidy john barrasso, representatives kevin braid city, devin nunez and greg walden. thank you. [applause] my administration has already taken decisive action to make health care more affordable for american families. we vastly expanded low cost health insurance plans. that is happening. it has been an incredible success. we begun a bold initiative to reduce the price of prescription drugs. last year drug prices saw their first decline in 46 years. first time in 46 years, that drug prices have gone down. now they're going to be down a long way further including the fact that we may allow states to buy drugs in other countries if we can buy them for a lesser price substantially less price. that is going to be very unique. we'll allow them to go to other countries because the drug companies have treated us very unfairly and rules and restrictions within our country have been absolutely atrocious. so we will allow them, with certain permissions, to go to other countries if they can buy them for 40, 50, 60% less. it is pretty pathetic. that is the way it works. for many

republicans, people like michael burgess and greg walden have really led the opposition here. a lot of their amendments will be focused on splitting these bills off from the aca bills. representative rochester has one. it is about studying the effects of what the administration has those. focused,those are very particularly that one. out what theure trump administration, what the effects of rolling back aca funds have done to enrollment. >> president trump has talked a lot and tweeted a lot about drug pricing. what you said the white house is officially threatened to beato this. on houses slated to vote thursday. this could give republican some cover. what are some of the concerns of the trump administration. share the same concerns that republicans have. they are not going to bolster the affordable care act. they have said, we've support the drug pricing measures here. but not the aca measures. that is something we will not support. we want to separate these issues. >> any indication that there will be republicans voting for this legislation? since it is a package of bills, w

alex: for republicans, people like michael burgess and greg walden have led the opposition here. a lot of their amendments are going to be focused on splitting the drug pricing bills off from the a.c.a. bills. there is more than 20 amendments to this bill, a lot of them are somewhat piecemeal, meant to clarify or focus on there. representative rochester has one, i believe it's a little bit about studying a lot of the effects of what the trump administration has done, about what outreach efforts are, and a lot of those are very focused, particularly that one by representative blunt rochester, trying to figure out what the trump administration, how a lot of their effects are rolling back a.c.a. funds. it will be be interesting to see if they go through and how much support that kind of measure might get. bill: president trump has talked a lot and tweeted a lot about drug prices -- pricing. but you tweeted this, the white house officially threatened to veto h.r. 987 the combo a.c.a. drug pricing package. this could give republicans some cover but won't change much of the politics of