WASHINGTON, DC – Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Greg Walden (R-OR) and Health Subcommittee Republican Leader Dr. Michael Burgess (R-TX) are calling for another hearing on the Partisan Pelosi plan before the Speaker's bill is rushed through the Energy and Commerce Committee.

In a letter to Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Health Subcommittee Chairwoman Anna Eshoo (R-CA), Walden and Burgess stress that H.R. 3 is not ready for a Committee vote, much less a vote before the full House of Representatives.

"Given the testimony heard in the subcommittee hearing and the implications H.R. 3 could have on denying treatments and next generation cures to our constituents, this process must not be rushed," Walden and Burgess write. "We are deeply troubled with the way the subcommittee hearing was conducted. Members were only given five full days to prepare for this hearing instead of the customary two week's notice that has long been enjoyed by the Committee.

"Additionally, the Committee minority was permitted a single witness to participate in the hearing. Limiting the time for members to prepare for this hearing prevented members from more fully understanding the challenges of this bill."

In their letter, Walden and Burgess outline serious concerns that H.R. "would have a dramatic effect on innovation and the development of life-saving treatments." The rushed CBO score released late Friday evening confirmed that the Pelosi plan would reduce the delivery of new, potentially life-saving cures to patients. In fact, the full impact on the development of new cures, as the partial CBO score readily admits, is purely an estimate. Moving forward without this critical information is wrong.

In May, the Energy and Commerce Committee advanced bipartisan legislation to lower drug prices – such as the CREATES Act and pay-for-delay – only to have Speaker Pelosi pollute these bipartisan bills with poison pills on the House floor.

Since May, Republicans and Democrats have been working on a bipartisan proposal to modernize Medicare Part D to lower drug costs for seniors. Those negotiations were upended when Speaker Pelosi’s plan was introduced last month.

In the letter, Walden and Burgess urge for a continuation of the bipartisan work that has been the hallmark of success at the Energy and Commerce Committee, not the partisan path Speaker Pelosi has prioritized.

"We encourage you to follow the same process the Committee followed to enact 21st Century Cures, SUPPORT, HEALTHY KIDS, RAY BAUM'S Act, and other significant committee laws," Walden and Burgess write. "It will require hard work from both sides of the aisle, but it is the best path forward.

"The process for H.R. 3 so far falls far short of our standard."

Click here to read the letter