Time to lower drug prices for seniors

August 3, 2022

We are paying more for nearly everything today — from groceries to gas to housing. As inflation reaches its highest in 40 years — rising 7% last year alone — Americans are asking what Congress can do to help them pay for the essentials they need. For seniors, the problem of inflation is only made worse by the ever-increasing price of prescription drugs. For years, prescription drug price increases have dwarfed even the highest rates of general inflation. If consumer prices had risen as fast as drug prices over the last 15 years, gas would now cost $12.20 a gallon, and ...

Senate Bill 106 gives voice to people

July 29, 2022

Over the past few weeks, my Senate colleagues have had to continually correct false and misleading statements regarding the recently passed Senate Bill 106. Sadly, the misrepresentations have continued, and it has become increasingly necessary for me, as a sponsor of one of the bill’s amendments, to join them in their efforts. Senate Bill 106 consists of five different amendments to the Pennsylvania constitution with the subjects being the election of the lieutenant governor, legislative disapproval of regulations, voter ID, auditing of elections by the auditor general and ...

Orwell’s work deserves ‘serious study’

July 14, 2022

George Orwell’s “1984,” published in 1949, describes a dystopian future society ruled by a totalitarian regime. Orwell postulated what London could look like in the distant future, given the then rapid rate of technological change — if it fell under the control of a totalitarian regime. The book remains one of the great works of fiction, but based on current events, also now deserves serious study. Comparing the institutions he imagined with ours today is eye-opening. His Oceania, including the city of London, is one of three large nations left and are at constant war ...

Issues beyond Second Amendment

June 7, 2022

The national security importance of the Second Amendment informs the current debate. The republic’s founders saw two existential risks: an armed foreign invasion and the armed installation of a monarch from within. While the external threats were obvious, the internal threats were less so. (George Washington actually declined several attempts to install him as monarch.) Ratified in 1791, the Second Amendment states “A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” The ...

Here’s why gas prices will stay up

June 2, 2022

By Wayne Winegarden We’re all looking for relief from record high gas prices these days. Gas prices are the highest in United States history at a nationwide average of $4.59 as of May 19, according to AAA. Many states surpass this average with California at $6.050, Nevada at $5.224, Washington at $5.148, and New York at $4.868, to name a few. But lawsuits filed by several cities across the country could actually drive gas prices even higher. In the name of climate change, over a dozen federal lawsuits have been filed by state and local governments, including New York City, ...

Stay calm during formula shortage

May 26, 2022

Parents and families of infants who rely on baby formula for their nutritional needs are scrambling due to the nationwide shortage. Ongoing supply chain issues from the pandemic, coupled with a recall on formula by Abbott Nutrition and the shuttering of their manufacturing plant in Michigan, have significantly impacted the scarcity. By talking to their pediatrician, parents can work to find solutions while production of formula increases in the coming weeks. Abbott reached an agreement with the FDA to reopen its plant and will start production in the next two weeks. The ...