| Notes |
Tenure
Spanberger was sworn into the U.S. House of Representatives for her first term on January 3, 2019.[32] In the election for Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives on the opening day of the 116th United States Congress, Spanberger fulfilled a campaign pledge by voting for U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos, an Illinois Democrat, for Speaker, and joining 11 other Democrats who did not back Nancy Pelosi.[33][34]
In January 2020, Spanberger sponsored the Public Disclosure of Drug Discounts Act, which passed the House unanimously. The bill would require pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), who manage prescription drug benefits for health insurance companies, to publicize the rebates, discounts and price concessions they negotiate, via a website hosted by the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services. She said that her bill would help reveal whether PBMs contribute to the increasing cost of prescription drugs in the U.S. and hoped to increase public awareness of drug pricing strategies. Spanberger also co-sponsored the Lower Drug Costs Now Act, which grants Medicare Part D the power to negotiate directly with drug companies and help lower prescription prices.[35]
In May 2020, Spanberger voted against the HEROES Act, a proposed $3 trillion stimulus package in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.[36] She said that the bill went "far beyond" pandemic relief and had no chance of passing the Repubican-controlled Senate.[37] In November 2020, Spanberger led a bipartisan effort to secure the 340B Drug Pricing Program against changes which would lead to significant increases in prescription medication costs.[38] |