So just in case you didn’t know what the GOP was about, here they go again proving that they are in the pockets of big pharma (still), and big pharma needs higher drug prices to fund research into cures for cancer that have been sucking up trillions since the search for a cure became a great way for them to stay profitable.
Along comes Joe Biden, who through his inflation reduction act gets seniors a lower prescription costs for their meds, and the greedy titans of the GOP say no way, we’ll just repeal that law when or if we take over congress after mid terms. Scrww these seciors who need lower prices on meds, the GOP wants them to pay more and then if they cant afford it, DIE!!!
Story below:
Some key House Republicans are calling for the repeal of Democrats’ newly-passed drug pricing measure if the GOP flips control of one or both chambers of Congress next year.
Why it matters: The comments show Republicans are not giving up the fight against sweeping measures aimed at lowering prescription drug prices, and give a glimpse of what their health agenda could look like.
What they’re saying: “If the courts haven’t gotten to it beforehand, yeah we’ve got to do our job and try to defend the Constitution,” Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.) told Axios, saying the law is an “unlawful taking.”
- Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas), the top Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee, indicated repealing the drug pricing law is a likely agenda item. “Because those drug provisions are so dangerous, by discouraging investment in life-saving cures, I would imagine that will be a top priority for Republicans in the new session,” he said.
- Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) replied “yes” when asked if he backed repeal of the drug pricing law.
Between the lines: Democrats view the drug pricing measure in the Inflation Reduction Act as a clear political winner and are essentially daring Republicans to say they want to repeal it.
- The law would for the first time allow Medicare to negotiate lower prices for a limited set of costly prescription drugs beginning in 2026.
- Republicans deride the measure as a “price control” that would hinder drug development.
- Other provisions in the IRA would limit drug price increases to the rate of inflation and cap seniors’ out of pocket drug costs at $2,000 per year.
The big picture: House Republicans on Thursday unveiled their agenda for next year, called the “Commitment to America.”
- The plan isn’t heavy on health policy, but does criticize Democrats’ drug pricing law as a “drug takeover scheme” that would lead to fewer cures.
- Henry Connelly, a spokesman for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, tweeted that it was evidence of “The extreme MAGA ‘Commitment'” to dial back lower drug prices that Democrats delivered.
- Democrats also pounced on parts of the agenda that hinted at changes to Social Security and Medicare in order to “save and strengthen” the entitlement programs.
Yes, but: Not all Republicans were adamant about tackling the issue in a divided Washington.
- “We need to be realistic,” Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.), the top Republican on the Energy and Commerce health subcommittee, told Axios. “I mean you’ve got to get the president to sign it,” he added.
- He pointed to a more modest Republican drug pricing measure as an alternative, and noted there are some areas of bipartisan agreement like capping seniors out-of-pocket costs in Medicare.
- House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) didn’t address the issue head on. The Commitment to America “shows what are going to be those first priorities in a Republican Congress,” he said. “Obviously, we need to get there, but you’re going to see us address a lot of the problems that the Democrats created.”
Source: https://www.axios.com/2022/09/23/gop-drug-price-repeal-target
