Dems May Not Have Votes for Prescription Drug Reform

[applegrove]

Dems May Not Have Votes for Prescription Drug Reform

September 13, 2021 at 5:50 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 44 Comments

https://politicalwire.com/2021/09/13/democrats-may-not-have-votes-for-prescription-drug-reform/

"SNIP.....

“House Democrats are running into another problem in their quest to craft a main component of President Joe Biden’s agenda,” Punchbowl News reports.

“With the House Energy and Commerce Committee in the throes of a marathon markup, the chair — Frank Pallone of New Jersey — may be short of the votes he needs to pass the prescription drug portion of the package.”

“That provision would allow HHS to negotiate drug discounts for Medicare recipients. This is a key element of the bill, as Democrats are looking at it for as much as $700 billion in savings. Democrats will use that money to offset other social spending in the reconciliation package.”

......SNIP"

[XanaDUer2]

1. I'm getting depressed nt

[applegrove]

2. Plus republicans are killing people with pre-existing conditions who buy lots

of meds. It would be a wedge issue. Oh well. Democrats can just put it as a top issue for the 2022 race and win.

[msongs]

3. time to name names nt

[AZSkiffyGeek]

4. They're in the linked story

Kathleen Rice (D-N.Y.), Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.), and Scott Peters (D-Calif.)

[walkingman]

5. This issue just highlights how much influence that the Pharma lobby has on

any meaningful reform on drug prices. Both parties balk at cutting the profits of BIG PHARMA and is a hard sell in Congress especially from pharma-heavy states. Simply negotiating for reduced prices for Medicare recipients, like they do for the VA, would save seniors billions in drug expenses.

IMO, just another example of the Corporate influence that seems to own our Congress. America has proven time and time again that business comes before people.

The only thing that will change that are voters reject corporatists at the ballot box.!!!

[kacekwl]

6. But of course , why would anyone support

drug reform or healthcare reform or tax reform so Everyone pay their share or infrastructure investment or election and voter reform or climate change investment or any fucking thing that may help the country and it's citizens who aren't billionaires. Why do we have to fight harder with our own ?