Tackling High Drug Prices Likely At The Top Of Agenda For 116th Congress
The issue is one that lawmakers from both parties, as well as President Donald Trump, are eager to address. But other health care priorities from the Democrats might be checked by the cushy majority the Republicans hold in the Senate.
The New York Times:
House Democrats’ Agenda: Ethics, Infrastructure And Medical Legislation
Democratic leaders say they would use their first month in the House majority to advance sweeping changes to future campaign and ethics laws, requiring the disclosure of shadowy political donors, outlawing the gerrymandering of congressional districts and restoring key enforcement provisions to the Voting Rights Act. They would then turn to infrastructure investment and the climbing costs of prescription drugs, answering voter demands and challenging President Trump’s willingness to work on shared policy priorities with a party he has vilified. (Fandos, 11/7)
Bloomberg:
House Democrats Seek Deals With Trump On Infrastructure, Drugs
House Democrats will use their new majority to seek deals with President Donald Trump on infrastructure spending and prescription drug costs, but won’t back down on their oversight responsibilities, said party leader Nancy Pelosi, in line to regain the speaker’s gavel. "We believe we have a responsibility to seek common ground where we can," Pelosi of California told reporters at a news conference Wednesday. "Where we cannot, we must stand our ground." (Wasson and Flatley, 11/7)
Stat:
After Midterms, A Rare Consensus In Washington On Effort To Lower Drug Prices
Trump expressed his support for working across the aisle on drug prices at a press conference that spanned about an hour and a half on Wednesday. But at the same time, he threatened not to work with the Democrats in general if they use their investigative power to scrutinize his administration. “I expect that [Democrats] will come up with some fantastic ideas that I can support on the environment, on so many different things, including prescription drug prices, which we’ve made a big dent in already,” Trump said. It’s unclear if he has actually made such a dent. (Swetlitz, 11/7)
Kaiser Health News:
House Dems In New Seats Of Power Will Steer Health Policy, Attack Drug Prices
With the Senate (and the presidency) remaining under Republican control and even fewer moderate Republicans left in the House after this election, Democrats will struggle to move legislation without Republican support. What they can do is hold hearings, launch investigations and generally unnerve the pharmaceutical industry, among other likely adversaries. And there’s a chance they could strike a deal with President Donald Trump, whose administration is moving to crack down on drug companies. (Huetteman, 11/7)
Stat:
Three Proposals To Bring Down Drug Prices That Have A Fighting Chance
The drug industry is bracing for a deluge of drug pricing proposals from the soon-to-be Democratic House of Representatives. But it’s not worried about the controversial policies that have been blaring in TV ads and featured in stump speeches in recent months. Democrats campaigned on a slate of sweeping drug pricing proposals, like allowing Medicare to negotiate directly with drug companies and creating a Senate-confirmed price-gouging enforcer. But those ideas are likely dead on arrival in the Senate, which remains in Republican control. (Florko, 11/7)
Stat:
After Ballot-Box Success, These Drug Pricing Advocates Are Eyeing Results
The advocacy group Patients for Affordable Drugs had a near-perfect night at the polls on Tuesday, marking its first year on the national elections scene by claiming success in all but one of the competitive elections it had waded into. The group’s sole issue, lowering high prescription drug prices, even provided a rare point of agreement on Wednesday in a deeply divided Washington. In post-midterms remarks, President Trump cited high drug costs as a potential area for compromise with Democrats. Sens. Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer — the Senate’s top Republican and Democrat, respectively — extended the same olive branch. (Facher, 11/8)
Stat:
8 Burning Questions As Washington Braces For A Health Policy Shakeup
Will House Democrats set their sights on high drug prices over Russian election hacking? Should drug industry CEOs be checking their mailboxes for subpoenas? Is Bob Casey or Greg Walden the next Orrin Hatch? What about the next Claire McCaskill? Drug industry executives are no doubt buzzing over many questions in the wake of the Democrats’ takeover of the House. Democrats made health care a central plank of their re-election drive, and they’ve made clear that they’ll leverage their new power to make lots of noise about the high cost of prescription drugs. (Florko, 11/8)
CQ:
Health Care Issues In The 116th Congress
The Democrats’ takeover of the House changes the dynamic on health care issues, which played a prominent role in the midterm elections. This is a look at likely scenarios in the 116th Congress under a Democratic House and GOP Senate. The health care law remains a divisive and politically charged issue a year after Republicans fell short of overhauling the law (PL 111-148, PL 111-152). Congress has been unable to move a bipartisan compromise on legislation to update the law in a significant way and that is unlikely to become easier in a divided Congress. (Clason, McIntire and Siddons, 11/7)
The Oregonian:
Democrats Ran On 'Medicare For All' And Won. Now What? Something Much Less Than 'Medicare For All'
Democratic House leader Nancy Pelosi repeated over and over in the run-up to Nov. 6 that the midterm election wasn't about President Donald Trump.It was about health care. All of the Democratic Party's young, rising leaders -- and thus much of the old guard as well -- are embracing some form of universal health insurance. So what happens now that the Dems retook the U.S. House majority but remain in the minority in the U.S. Senate? (Perry, 11/7)
