New GOP Lawmakers’ Silence After Campaigning On Drug Pricing Reveals Difficult Reality For Republicans
Reps. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) and Pete Stauber (R-Minn.) both talked on the campaign trail about giving Medicare negotiating powers as a way to curb high drug prices. Now, in Congress, they appear to have backpedaled their positions. Meanwhile, the spat between President Donald Trump and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi jeopardizes a potential deal on drug pricing. And Colorado caps the costs of insulin.
Stat:
These Republicans Campaigned On A Bold Drug-Pricing Pledge. Since They Won, They’ve Gone Silent
Both Reps. Dan Crenshaw of Texas and Pete Stauber of Minnesota have retreated from their campaign pledges on the issue — a sign, experts said, of both the political appeal of pledging to lower drug prices and the trepidation that comes with crossing the party line on a divisive issue. The political liability that comes with quickly abandoning a campaign-trail promise, too, could be substantial. (Facher, 5/24)
The Hill:
Trump-Pelosi Fight Threatens Drug Pricing Talks
President Trump's new vow to cut off work with Democrats is threatening recent progress in bipartisan talks to lower drug prices. Staffers for the White House and Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) office have been in discussions for months about potential legislation to lower the cost of prescription drugs, and sources say the White House has expressed openness to some form of Medicare negotiating drug prices, a major Democratic goal that Trump supported during the 2016 campaign before backing off. (Sullivan, 5/24)
Denver Post:
Colorado Becomes First State In Nation To Cap Price Of Insulin
Diabetics in Colorado who use insulin to control their blood sugar levels won’t pay more than $100 per month for the drug starting in January thanks to a bill signed into law by Gov. Jared Polis on Wednesday. “Today, we will declare that the days of insulin price gouging are over in Colorado,” Polis said in his office as he signed the bill, according to CBS Denver. Insulin has been around for nearly a century, but the price that patients with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes pay for the drug has doubled since 2012, according to the Healthcare Cost Institute. The cost of insulin can creep up toward $1,000 for those whose health care coverage requires significant cost-sharing. (Staver, 5/23)
