CJ Pearson: Poison Pill PBM Amendment shouldn’t be added to Insulin Cap Bill
The Senate’s long-awaited movement on the critical issue of insulin affordability marks a pivotal step forward for patients. However, lawmakers must thoroughly scrutinize the additional healthcare measures that may be included in the bill. Specifically, the Pharmacy Benefit Manager Reform Act, currently under consideration, has the potential to exacerbate the very problem the insulin measure seeks to solve by driving up drug prices across the board. Proposed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, this provision, if enacted, would burden Alabama families with skyrocketing drug costs, undermining the bill’s objective of making essential medications more affordable. Senators Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville are rightly working to address insulin prices, given that the state has the fifth-highest percentage of adults with diabetes, with roughly half a million patients in the state ready to benefit from a cap on insulin prices. But adding the Pharmacy Benefit Manager Reform Act to the overall package will do more harm than good, and I urge our senators to firmly oppose the inclusion of this act. Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) serve as a crucial pillar of our healthcare system, saving Americans an average of over $1,000 per year on prescription drug costs. Operating as private sector negotiators, they hold pharmaceutical companies accountable and effectively drive down prices through strategic measures such as rebates, specialty pharmacies, and mail-order services, among others. By leveraging their extensive networks, PBMs negotiate to provide employers and insurers with a variety of coverage choices and flexibility, which translates into more affordable and quality prescription coverage for patients. This means that individuals can enjoy the benefits of affordable medications while health plans can allocate their resources more efficiently, creating a win-win situation for all. Without the negotiating power of PBMs, Americans will be left at the mercy of Big Pharma’s relentless mission to increase profits. Alabamians cannot afford to jeopardize the hard-won cost savings and consumer choice that PBMs provide. Equally concerning, this legislation would reduce employer flexibilities, which would have dire consequences. The Pharmacy Benefit Manager Reform Act will not only lead to skyrocketing pharmaceutical prices but also pave the way for increased government interference in healthcare – a long-time goal of Sen. Sanders. Such proposals further regulating PBMs will give the government increased control over the healthcare system. This heavy-handed approach jeopardizes individual liberty, free market competition, and choice, undermining the foundations of our healthcare system. While the Senate’s focus on insulin affordability is crucial—an issue Sens. Britt and Tuberville made a priority in the upper chamber—they must also assess the negative impact of the addition of the PBM legislation. This amendment could prove to be a poison pill. By avoiding hasty decisions and taking a thoughtful and measured approach, we can achieve meaningful and sustainable healthcare reform that benefits all Americans. It is crucial for Congress to recognize the invaluable role that PBMs play in driving down prices, preserving consumer choice, and ensuring affordable healthcare for all. Otherwise, Alabama patients will find themselves paying more for life-saving medication. CJ Pearson is a conservative activist and University of Alabama graduate.
CJ Pearson: Lawmakers should address retail theft at the scene of the crime, not online
Smash and grab robberies are not only plaguing Alabama, but the country as a whole. It’s up to Alabama’s lawmakers to make sure they respond with policy that is tough on crime. However, the only parties bills like HB 318 will be tough on are our local small business community. While the intent behind HB 318 is admirable, there’s little evidence to suggest that it will actually be effective in halting the wave of organized retail crime in its tracks. It’s not the fix we need. Amid the pandemic, many craftsmen, artisans, and entrepreneurs have moved their businesses online and are working from the comfort and security of their home rather than a traditional storefront. If HB 318 becomes law, it will force small businesses to provide a home address and other personal information for the entire internet to see, undermining the very reason many sellers choose to work from home in the first place. Exposing online sellers’ personal information won’t curb in-store organized retail crime, but it could lead to home break-ins, stalking, identity theft, and other forms of harassment. Not to mention, home invasions are a growing concern these days. Handing such sensitive details over to bad actors is just plain irresponsible. Small business owners shouldn’t have to worry about putting their families’ privacy and safety at risk just to make an honest living—this isn’t a choice our legislators should force them to make. During challenging times like these, we should be supporting the people of Alabama, not tying them up with more regulations and red tape. More rules mean less freedom for our Virtual Main Street to thrive and survive in an economy that is already suffocating under sky-high inflation and a supply chain crisis. Instead, let’s address the problem at its source: the stores organized retail crime bandits are targeting in the first place. What we really need are common-sense legislative solutions that are tough on crime. This is an opportunity for Alabama to be leaders in empowering our law enforcement amid a clarion call to defund the police. Let’s make sure our men and women in blue are rich in the resources they need to do their job to crack down on actual crooks, not hardworking business owners. Retail theft needs to be addressed at the scene of the crime, not online. Lawmakers aren’t elected to make life more difficult for Alabama small businesses. If safety truly is the priority here, let’s not put Alabama businesses at risk in a misguided attempt to address retail crime. There’s a better solution to the in-store retail theft problem—supporting our local law enforcement. Alabama legislators should vote no on HB 318. CJ Pearson is the Founder of the Free Thinker Project and a student at the University of Alabama.
University of Alabama student takes center stage in Georgia lawsuit and rally
C.J. Pearson began his career in politics at an early age after being inspired by a mock election in his Georgia elementary school. Since then, he has become a well-known political activist and the president of the Free Thinkers, a group he founded. He’s currently a freshman at the University of Alabama and was recently nominated to serve as an elector for the state of Georgia. On Wednesday, Pearson spoke at a Stop the Steal rally in Alpharetta, Georgia, led by Sidney Powell. While Powell has helped Donald Trump’s attorney Rudy Giuliani, she doesn’t work directly for Trump. According to Fox News, Powell has made several unsubstantiated claims that the presidential election was fraudulent and that Dominion’s voting machines were to blame. At a press conference Wednesday, Powell and fellow pro-Trump attorney Lin Wood told the crowd to not vote in the upcoming U.S. senate runoff on Jan. 5 in Georgia until the state changes its procedures and ends the use of Dominion voting machines. “I would encourage all Georgians to make it known that you will not vote at all until your vote is secure – and I mean that regardless of party,” Powell said. “We can’t live in a republic, a free republic, unless we know our votes are legal and secure. So we must have voter ID, and we probably must go back to paper ballots that are signed and have your thumbprint on them. We certainly should be able to find a system that can count them, even if it has to be done by hand.” Pearson tweeted a video of the rally and stated, “We are no longer the party of John McCain. We are no longer the party of Mitt Romney. We are no longer a party of cowards. We are the party of @RealDonaldTrump.” https:// We are no longer the party of John McCain. We are no longer the party of Mitt Romney. We are no longer a party of cowards. We are the party of @realDonaldTrump. pic.twitter.com/tqx6aiNgfd — CJ Pearson (@thecjpearson) December 2, 2020 Trump’s legal team, headed by Giuliani, has made several unsuccessful court challenges in several states, arguing voter fraud. Attorney General William Barr stated that the Justice Department hasn’t found widespread voter fraud that would change the outcome of the election. Pearson is named as a plaintiff in Pearson v. Kemp, a lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. The lawsuit alleges voting irregularities in the presidential election. Governor Brian Kemp is named as one of the defendants. Pearson isn’t without controversy. In 2015, when he was just 13 years old, he gained notoriety for criticizing then-President Barack Obama in a highly viewed youtube video. After that, he accused Obama of blocking him on his official presidential Twitter account. Obama hadn’t blocked him, and a backlash ensued. Benji Backer, a young political activist who left the public spotlight, commented on the controversy, “I tried to give CJ advice,” Backer wrote. “And I know he’s going to lash out at me now. But we used to work together. I told him he had promise but that he had to keep it in perspective, truth [sic] and stay humble. Stardom can ruin those things and it did for him. CJ & I (when I was still in politics) were going to work on some things. But he didn’t like advice and he wanted ‘his brand’ to grow instead. People, including myself, tried to help CJ. I really thought he could do great things. But he wasn’t willing to listen. Most of all, CJ lied to me. Numerous times. And many people I know and love. That’s when I knew there was a problem.”
