DOWNEY – California Governor Gavin Newsom was in Downey on Wednesday, joining Los Angeles County leaders at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center to draw a hard line in the sand against expensive prescription drug and medication costs.

On his 100th day in office, Newsom stood in the shadow of Rancho’s new Outpatient Building and announced that the state and LA County would be partnering in the hopes of negotiating down the often-crippling prices of pharmaceutical drugs.

The high costs of prescription drugs have long been in the crosshairs of California’s governor.

“I got sworn in 100 days ago, and the first thing I did was sign an executive order…quite literally moments after I walked off the stage,” said Newsom. “It was remarkable to me that in the state of California, with this remarkable purchasing we already do…we estimate now it’s close to $13 billion that the state pays into our pharmaceutical purchases.

“In the executive order, there was a reference that we want to open up this purchasing pool to others, including the counties, including the private sector as well.”

L.A. County is the first to partner with the state. Newsom described it as a “populous moment.”

“We are lighting up the imagination of others…two governors have called me saying, ‘what about us? What about our state joining the state of California,’” said Newsom. “All that frustration and, let’s be honest, all that monied interest. Big money here, and they’ve been buying us off. I’ll say it. Politicians of all political stripes have been bought off, been threatened. They don’t want to touch this; they’re willful in their neglect or their content of all of you as taxpayers. They’re taking care of the few, not taking care of the rest of us.”

Newsom added that “we will save billions and billions of dollars over the next several years.”

“I get all the arguments; I’m not naïve about that. I can understand we’ll pay a modest premium but not 200 percent more for the cost of drugs, versus what you pay up in Ontario, Canada…is it really worth two times more in America than it is, or two and a half times more than it is in Switzerland? It’s nonsense,” said Newsom. “They’ve gotten away with it because we’ve allowed them to get away with it…now we’re able to go to the table with massive capacity to leverage the negotiation at that table, to drive down costs, to put more money in your pocket books and make a difference in people’s lives.”

As he announced the partnership, Newsom was flanked by LA County Supervisors Hilda Solis of District 1 and Janice Hahn of District 4.

“Our governor understands that getting medication and prescription drugs is really driving down our economy, and the quality of life for so many people is impacted in so many ways,” said Solis. “I see it in my district where seniors and young people can’t afford to buy their medicine, or they will cut their pills in half. They will forgo buying medicine because they have to pay the rent. Those choices shouldn’t have to be made.”

“Right here in the state of California, $8 billion is what we spend. What would happen if we could somehow do what the VA does…and cut those prices in half? That’s something we’ve been fighting for for a long time.”

Hahn said that California would “not wait for Congress.”

“Today, California, under [Gov. Newsom’s] leadership, is leading the country again,” said Hahn. “California is a model for the rest of the country, and I’ve been so impressed by this governor’s bold leadership that he’s been showing in his first 100 days in office and today is no exception. He knows we’re more effective when we work together; when the cities, the counties, and the state work together.”