There has been quite a lot going on politically of late, and we have focused a lot on the issues that have been thrust right in front of our faces – the Rittenhouse trial, inflation, oil prices, the Virginia elections, and so much more. Sometimes we forget about a significant piece of legislation Congress continues to fight for.
The Build Back Better agenda rests entirely on this legislation, and it’s all pretty much a grab bag of socialist ideas that the Democrats have really one last shot at getting across the finish line before the 2022 midterms that seem likely to wipe out their narrow majority.
As the last chance to push the Biden agenda forward, Democrats may intensify attacks on Republicans.
Republicans may work with Democrats in a bipartisan area of the Biden Agenda. However, it will not be a part of any bill with many negative ideas. This issue concerns lower drug prices. Republicans have been fighting for this cause since George W. Bush’s time.
Bush took steps to lower drugs costs when he was President, but it was Donald Trump who took the most significant action yet, working on policy based on Chuck Grassley’s efforts in the Senate. Lowering drug costs was a pillar of Trump’s 2016 campaign, and a promise he followed through on.
Grassley’s work on the issue was the primary inspiration for the Trump administration’s decision to have Medicare use the international price of prescription drugs instead of the often-inflated U.S. price – a policy known as the Most Favored Nation approach. Grassley pushed a bill for lower prescription drug costs in 2020. This was supported by Senators Bill Cassidy (Suzanne Collins), Rob Portman and Steve Daines. Cindy Hyde Smith, Cindy Braun, Steve Daines, Steve Daines, Joni Ernest, Mike Braun, Steve Daines and Lisa Murkowski.
This brings us to the moment.
Axios last week reported that Viatris had priced the new insulin Semlgee. This is a drugmaker that experienced huge price increases just two years ago. It was a drug many diabetics have been unable to afford. This “new” insulin had two prices, though. There was one cost of $98.65 per vial – far cheaper than the $283.65 charged by Lantus, the main competitor in the marketplace – and another that cost $269.38.
But Grassley hasn’t let up. On October 26, Grassley grilled Samuel Bagenstos (a Biden nominee) who was to serve as the general counsel to the Department of Health and Human Services. Grassley’s line of questioning focused on what Bagenstos would do to hold drug companies accountable when they violate federal laws that require them to provide discounted drugs to certain health care entities, many of them in rural areas, covered by something called the 340b drug discount program that requires drug companies to offer deeply-discounted drugs to these health care providers.
“The administration has written to at least six companies about what they have to do and you haven’t heard back from the companies,” Grassley said. “The status quo is not sustainable, so if confirmed what additional steps could HHS take to protect the [340b] program?
Grassley has been working tirelessly with Republicans to prevent patients having to pay over $200 per pop for insulin, while the Biden government seemed to be willing to increase those prices at times. The Biden administration now wants BBB prices to drop.
But you don’t need to include that in a major bill like this. Separate bills and policies by Republicans have already laid the groundwork. And those Republicans want to collaborate with Democrats in getting it done. However, they (rightfully) aren’t going to sign on to a major spending bill that will bring further inflation and create more problems.
This is a good policy for Republicans to work with Democrats on, and Democrats can score an easy win here without tying it to the IRS snooping on Americans’ bank accounts or giving nearly half a million dollars to immigrant families.
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