United States Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Al Franken (D-MN) led the charge to send a letter to President-Elect Donald Trump, outlining specific action items they would like to see his Administration taken to help Congress bring down the cost of prescription drugs. The letter was cosigned by eighteen other senators, including Patrick Leahy and Bernie Sanders (both of Vermont), Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey (both of Massachusetts), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY).
The letter expressed frustration shared by the senators over the cost of drugs and outlined several ways they believe Mr. Trump can make good on his promise to lower the rising cost of prescription drugs for consumers including: allowing the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to negotiate better prices for Medicare recipients; requiring drug companies to disclose costs associated with creating drugs so prices are more transparent; putting an end to abusive price gouging; and ensuring competition and innovation that will lead to greater competition and more affordable, effective drugs.
In the letter, the Senators wrote, “It is undeniable that more and more families are struggling to access medications, and in many cases, are forced to choose between paying for prescription drugs and other necessities, like food and shelter. The American public is fed up, with roughly 8-in-10 Americans reporting that drug prices are unreasonable, and that we must take action to lower costs. You now have the authority to push for a future that prioritizes patients. We are ready to advance measures to achieve this goal and we urge you to partner with Republicans and Democrats alike to take meaningful steps to address the high cost of prescription drugs through bold administrative and legislative actions.”
Candidate Donald Trump’s Positions
The letter referenced several promises made by President-Elect Donald Trump on the campaign trail. “During your campaign, you promised to implement bold reforms to bring down the cost of prescription drugs. In fact, you acknowledged that “Congress will need the courage to step away from the special interests and do what is right for America.” You also supported allowing consumers’ access to imported, safe, and dependable drugs from overseas and vowed to negotiate lower prescription drug prices for seniors. And earlier this month you again promised to “bring down drug prices.” While there are many different policy options to achieve lower drug prices, it’s clear that we all agree that all Americans deserve access to safe, effective, and affordable lifesaving medications. As Members of Congress, we are ready to advance bipartisan reforms that will help achieve the goal we all share: reducing the burden exorbitant drug prices are placing on hard-working Americans.”
In an interview with TIME ahead of Mr. Trump’s selection as TIME’s 2016 Person of the Year, he said he doesn’t “like what’s happened with drug prices” and that he will “bring down” the costs of prescription medication. On the campaign trail, Mr. Trump often called for allowing, or even going so far as requiring, Medicare to negotiate with drug companies to lower costs.
With his inauguration only days away, it will be very interesting to see how a President Donald Trump interacts with Congress – Democrats and Republicans alike. It will also be interesting to see how he governs, as there is not much (or, really any) prior experiences to look to for clues.