Democratic Package Would Boost Working Americans
*A percentage in this press release has been changed to reflect the accurate number.
July 24, 2017
Democratic Package Would Boost Working Americans
Statements of Public Citizen Experts
Note: Today, Democrats unveiled a package of policies designed to help working people by raising wages, lowering the cost of living and more.
“Americans of all political stripes are furious about the political, economic and social consequences of concentrated corporate power. There may be a partisan divide in the country, but there is no divide on this question: Overwhelming proportions of Americans seek fundamental democracy reforms (including overturning Citizens United) to fix a rigged political system. Americans want robust measures to break up giant banks and curb the abuses of behemoth corporations. They want a higher minimum wage, expanded Social Security and Medicare, and the reining in of drug corporation pricing abuses. We applaud this package, which aims to directly take on the problem of excessive corporate power. This should not be seen as a partisan agenda – it is an American agenda, and it’s one that Congress and the president should rush to enact.”
– Robert Weissman, president, Public Citizen
“In the Trump administration, corporations have a louder megaphone and more access to government than ever before. Now is the time to revisit our antitrust policies and make a conscious choice to put economic and political power back in the hands of the people. More competition means a fairer economy for consumers and less concentrated political power imbued in the nation’s biggest companies, which spend millions to lobby Washington and influence political campaigns.”
– Lisa Gilbert, vice president of legislative affairs, Public Citizen.
“Americans want their leaders to make health care affordable, not take it away. That includes fighting the price abuses of the prescription drug corporations that force the rationing of treatment to millions. The Democratic package includes reforms that the American people actually want: 92 percent of Americans want Medicare to have the power to negotiate prices. Eight-three percent believe the government should make sure medicines are affordable for every American. Making health care available for all of us requires standing up to corporate interests, including Big Pharma’s monopoly power.”
– Peter Maybarduk, director, Public Citizen’s Access to Medicines Program
###