{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://pappas.house.gov/media/press-releases/pappas-introduces-the-protect-patients-from-costly-care-act", "Pappas Introduces the Protect Patients from Costly Care Act", "2025-09-03", "2025", "2025-09", "Democrat", "House", "NH", "Chris Pappas", "P000614", "pappas.house.gov", "pappas", "https://pappas.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "This week Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) is introducing new legislation in the House, the Protect Patients from Costly Care Act, to repeal changes to Medicaid cost-sharing requirements and handouts to Big Pharma in the Republicans\u2019 reconciliation tax and spending bill. Representatives Jonathan L. Jackson (IL-01), Raul Ruiz (CA-25), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Cleo Fields (LA-06, John B. Larson (CT-01), Andr\u00e9 Carson (IN-07), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), and Angie Craig (MN-02) are original cosponsors of the legislation.\n\nThe bill would repeal the \u201csick tax\u201d imposed by President Trump and Congressional Republicans\u2019 so-called \u2018One Big Beautiful Bill\u2019 Act (OBBBA), which imposes additional out-of-pocket fees on certain Medicaid enrollees before they can see a provider, and allows providers to refuse to administer care if they are unable to pay the fee. The bill would also repeal provisions in the OBBBA that exclude certain drugs from the Medicare drug price negotiation program, allowing pharmaceutical companies to evade accountability for high-priced prescription drugs.\n\n\u201cPresident Trump and Republicans in Congress weren\u2019t satisfied with simply cutting Medicaid funding, forcing providers to close and kicking millions off their health care. They also had to make sure that their legislation would force Medicaid patients to pay a \u2018sick tax\u2019 and help Big Pharma evade accountability for making drug prices unaffordable,\u201d said Congressman Pappas. \u201cWe won\u2019t stand for it. If Republicans are serious about addressing high costs, then they should join us to move this legislation forward, protect patients from high costs, and protect the progress we have made to ensure life-saving medications are accessible to everyone who needs them.\u201d\n\nThis legislation is supported by Protect Our Care and Patients for Affordable Drugs Now.\n\n\u201cCongressman Pappas is taking an important step to roll back some of the most harmful provisions of Donald Trump and Republicans\u2019 health care cuts,\u201d said Leslie Dach, Chair, Protect Our Care. \u201cBecause of Republicans, prescription drug prices and out-of-pocket costs are set to skyrocket for those who can least afford it, leaving them nowhere to turn for life-saving medications and care. The Protect Patients From Costly Care Act is a vital step toward combating the GOP War on Health Care and protecting the health and dignity of millions.\u201d\n\nMerith Basey, Executive Director of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now, said, \u201cThe Protecting Patients from Costly Care Act is a targeted fix that restores integrity to the Medicare Negotiation Program \u2014 which is supported by Americans across party lines. We thank Congressman Pappas for standing with patients over Big Pharma.\u201d\n\nBackground:\n\nCongressman Pappas is a steadfast advocate for lowering health care and prescription drug costs, expanding access to care, strengthening the industry\u2019s workforce and training programs, and protecting vital programs that Granite Staters rely on, including Medicare and Medicaid. Pappas fought to pass historic legislation that finally allowed the government to negotiate for lower drug prices with pharmaceutical companies, capped the cost of insulin at $35, and capped out-of-pocket medical expenses for Medicare recipients.\n\nPappas voted against the Republicans\u2019 reconciliation bill every time it came to the floor. Pappas filed two amendments to the Senate-passed Republican reconciliation bill to protect Granite Staters\u2019 access to Medicaid and food assistance and to prevent Congress from passing the burden of cuts to these programs onto the states; neither was adopted.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T15:07:37Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://pappas.house.gov/media/press-releases/pappas-introduces-the-protect-patients-from-costly-care-act"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.881018815562129, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}