Q&A:
EpiPen
Pricing
Q.
Why
are
you
looking
into
the
pricing
practices
of
an
FDA-approved
product
known
as
an
EpiPen?
Q.
What
steps
have
you
taken
to
achieve
accountability
and
transparency
in
the
EpiPen
pricing
matter?
Quick
Links
This
week
the
Senate
passed
a
bill
that
will
improve
the
responsiveness
and
performance
of
the
Veterans
Crisis
Line,
the
confidential,
toll-free
hotline
for
veterans
seeking
suicide
prevention
and
crisis
resources
help
from
the
Department
of
Veterans
Affairs.
I
co-sponsored
the
Senate
version
of
this
bill
because
we've
seen
too
many
suicides
of
veterans
in
Iowa
whose
loved
ones
said
they
struggled
to
get
help.
Bills
like
this
and
oversight
of
the
VA
are
more
important
than
ever.
I
also
asked
the
inspector
general
of
the
Department
of
Veterans
Affairs
to
conduct
a
thorough
investigation
into
the
treatment
of
a
Johnston
veteran
who
committed
suicide.
U.S.
Army
veteran
Curtis
Gearhart
was
reportedly
told
he
would
have
to
wait
up
to
six
weeks
for
an
appointment
to
treat
his
severe
headaches
–
well
beyond
the
VA's
goal
of
30
days
for
treatment.
In
September,
I
held
a
hearing
on
several
proposed
deals
involving
seed
and
agrochemical
companies.
If
the
deals
are
approved,
it
could
result
in
less
competition
and
higher
prices
for
farmers
and
consumers.
I
also
have
concerns
that
one
of
the
companies involved,
ChemChina,
is
a
Chinese
state-owned
enterprise
and
may
use
the
Foreign
Sovereign
Immunities
Act
to
skirt
responsibility
in
U.S.
courts
if
a
legal
challenge
emerges
over
company
practices.
ChemChina
said
that
immunity
would
not
extend
to
Syngenta’s
U.S.
business,
but
it
failed
to
acknowledge
that
immunity
would
otherwise
apply
to
a
wholly
state-owned
entity.
The
Department
of
Health
and
Human
Services
started
to
implement
the
opioid
addiction
bill
I
led
through
the
Senate.
In
January
I called
for
allowing
nurse
practitioners
and
physician
assistants
to
be
able
to
prescribe
addiction-fighting
medication,
and
then
in
July
we
passed
the
Comprehensive
Addiction
Recovery
Act,
which includes
this
provision.
I
hope
the
administration
will
continue
to
implement
the
landmark
law,
as
I'll
continue
work
to
fight
this
epidemic
on
all
fronts.
Inauguration
Tickets
Iowans
have
until
January
1,
2017,
to
submit
requests
for
tickets
to
the
58th Presidential
Inauguration
swearing-in
ceremony
through
my
office.
Iowans
interested
in
requesting
tickets
should
submit
their
names
and
contact
information
on
my
website:
http://www.grassley.senate.gov/2017-presidential-inauguration.
Tickets
will
be
allotted
based
on
a
lottery.
Information
and
tickets for
events
other
than
the
swearing-in
ceremony,
such as
Inaugural
balls
and the
Inaugural
parade, are
handled
through
the
Joint
Congressional
Committee
on
Inaugural
Ceremonies
(JCCIC).
We
expect
its
website
to
be
updated
soon
with
information
on
those
events.
Post
of
the
Week
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