Florida Alliance Sues State of Florida to Protect Voting Rights

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) signed a sweeping new voter suppression bill on Thursday that restricts access to the ballot box for millions of voters. As soon as the legislation was signed into law, the Florida Alliance for Retired Americans, the League of Women Voters of Florida, the Black Voters Matter Fund and several individual Florida voters filed a lawsuit challenging it against the state of Florida and every county election board.

The lawsuit challenges specific provisions in the bill that:

• Impose restrictions on drop boxes voters use to return mail ballots;
• Effectively ban organizations and volunteers from helping voters return their mail ballots;
• Require voters to request mail ballots more frequently; and
• Ban any non-poll worker from giving food or drink, including water, to voters waiting in line to vote.

“This law will make it more difficult for millions of Florida citizens to exercise their constitutional right to vote,” said Bill Sauers, President of the Florida Alliance for Retired Americans.

“Older Floridians take the right to vote seriously, and we will fight any attempt to keep our voices from being heard.”

“In 2020 the Alliance and several of our chapters filed lawsuits in eight states challenging laws that erected barriers to voting. Clearly that fight is not over and we are not backing down,” said Richard Fiesta, Executive Director of Alliance. “Republican state legislators have introduced hundreds of pieces of legislation in dozens of states to prevent the will of the people from being heard; this is as outrageous as it is dangerous.”

COVID-19 “TRIPS Waiver” Could Assist Countries Seeing the Worst of the Pandemic

President Biden announced his support on Wednesday for a World Trade Organization proposal to waive intellectual property protections for COVID-19 vaccines, clearing a path for countries to manufacture COVID-19 vaccines, despite private corporations holding patents on them.

The Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement, which allows less wealthy nations to import and develop generic versions of patented medicines, must be approved by the members of the WTO. Experts say the waiver was unlikely to pass if the United States was opposed. The pharmaceutical industry strongly opposes the waiver, arguing that it would take too long for countries to ramp up production of the vaccine.

“President Biden deserves credit for standing up to the pharmaceutical industry,” said Joseph Peters, Jr., Secretary-Treasurer of the Alliance. “We will not end this pandemic until all countries have inoculated their citizens.”

Mounting Evidence Demonstrates Need for Action on High Drug Prices

As the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on a bill requiring Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices, a new report found that the pharmaceutical industry spent $92 million on lobbying Congress during the first three months of 2021.

Meanwhile Pfizer reported that it has made $3.5 billion in revenue from its COVID-19 vaccine alone during the first quarter this year.

The House Committee hearing focused on H.R. 3, a bill the House of Representatives passed during the last Congress but died in the Senate. The Alliance sent a letter supporting the legislation to Reps. Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ), the Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman, and Anna Eshoo (CA), the Health Subcommittee chairwoman urging action on the bill that would save taxpayers and seniors billions each year.

“Americans are still paying the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs,” said Fiesta. “The government negotiates lower prices on everything from aircraft to office supplies. It’s time to get a better deal on the drugs and treatments Americans rely on.”

Alliance Members Mark Older Americans Month

On Monday the White House issued a proclamation celebrating May as Older Americans Month. The proclamation is a statement on the value, sacrifice and contribution of Older Americans and it notes the tremendous hardships older Americans have had to deal with during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alliance members across the country are using the occasion to flex their advocacy skills and make the case for action on legislation to lower drug prices, protect voting rights, ensure that all Americans can form or join a union, and ensure more people can receive long term care services in their homes.

“Older Americans Month is an opportunity to celebrate the wisdom and experience of seniors, and also to influence policy so that elected officials appropriately consider the need for real retirement security,” said Robert Roach, Jr., President of the Alliance.

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