"Mr. Speaker, I am fortunate to be able to represent a district full of patriotic veterans who have served their country honorably. Every American, and certainly Congress, owes our veterans all we have promised them, and more. "The issue we are discussing today has imposed significant hardships on veterans and their families who have long relied on trusted, local, and convenient health care professionals for their prescription medications. "Due to negotiations between Express Scripts on behalf of the Department of Defense and independently owned pharmacies, thousands of these local pharmacies are unable to provide prescriptions for TRICARE patients. This means that many retail pharmacies are unable to work with TRICARE customers, restricting pharmacy access for millions of people all over the country, including many in my district in Alabama. "I’ve heard numerous upsetting stories from my constituents who have been impacted. One tells me he can no longer use Express Scripts due to his medication prices more than doubling from his local pharmacy, which no longer accepts TRICARE. He recently waited over 4 hours for his prescription at his new pharmacy. "Another constituent, who recently had to stand in line at his pharmacy for over an hour with other upset patrons, explained to my office that multiple times, Express Scripts has run low on his mental health medications and failed to deliver them to him on time, causing a dangerous interruption in his medication schedule. "Once, after not receiving his medication, he had a mental health crisis and called the Suicide Hotline, which thankfully got him his medication the very next day. "Mr. Speaker, one of my constituents has used the same pharmacy for 54 years and thinks of them as a partner. They are in frequent communication regarding her health, and the professionals there often help her decide which medication will be most beneficial to her. Unfortunately, Express Scripts has not met her needs. When visiting another pharmacy recommended to her by Express Scripts, she was informed they are not a fully functioning pharmacy and are also unable to help her. "She told my office that our veteran population loves our country, but too often it seems our country does not love them back. "This treatment of our veterans is unacceptable in the greatest country in the world. Our government must do everything possible to alleviate the suffering of our veterans and their families, who have already sacrificed so much." I appreciate my colleague Buddy Carter, an experienced independent pharmacist, for hosting this special order and his leadership on this issue. "We have no greater responsibility than keeping our promises to our veterans, and I am committed to ensuring that families using TRICARE receive the utmost care from trusted, local health care professionals." ### | 