Democrats gear up for major push to lower drug prices

Democrats are planning a major push to lower drug prices as part of a coming infrastructure package, reportedly by including a measure that would allow the secretary of HHS to negotiate lower prices for prescription drugs. That bill, first passed by the House in 2019, would provide about $450 billion in savings that in turn could help fund a spending package with a price tag as high as $3 trillion. The drug pricing measure is fiercely opposed by Republicans and the pharmaceutical industry, with executives warning it would harm innovation that leads to new drug development. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) gave a vote of confidence to the idea of including the drug pricing measure in the infrastructure package last week. “If we were able to do that, we could save almost a half a trillion dollars,” Pelosi said. “We would be missing an opportunity if we did not include lowering the cost of prescription drugs.” Some House Democratic committee staff recently told outside groups they are unsure if the measure can get through the Senate, according to a source familiar with the conversations. “We have a fight on our hands to get this passed,” said Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT), one of the House’s main proponents of drug pricing legislation. “We’ve got a Senate with a razor-thin margin that we hope will pass it.”