at least 4 centrist, corpo-friendly Dems tried to scupper Biden's pharma cost reductions as well (Reply #17)

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17. at least 4 centrist, corpo-friendly Dems tried to scupper Biden's pharma cost reductions as well

Sat Dec 28, 2024, 03:07 PM

Dec 2024

Democrats Josh Gottheimer (NJ), Wiley Nickel (NC), Scott Peters (CA), and Donald Davis (NC) are all co-sponsoring at least one of multiple bills that would stifle regulators’ ability to bring down prices of drugs covered by the Medicare. The bills would significantly reduce or outright block the drug price reduction framework contained in Biden's 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.

3 of the 4 are No Labels' Problem Solvers Caucus members, with Gottheimer being the co-chair, and the 4th, Davis, was the lone Democratic co-sponsor of a bill by Rethugs Greg Murphy and Brett Guthrie that significantly weakens Medicare's ability to lower prices:

The lone Democrat willing to weaken Medicare’s power to negotiate drug prices

https://www.statnews.com/2024/02/05/democrat-weaken-medicare-drug-price-negotiation/

All 4 are in the moderate/centrist New Democrat Coalition, and Nickel and Gottheimer are also in the conservative Blue Dog Coalition.

One of the bills, the Optimizing Research Progress Hope and News (ORPHAN) Cures Act, would exclude vital drugs for many diseases from the price reduction process.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/5539/text?s=1&r=88

Two other bills,

the Maintaining Investments in New Innovation (MINI) Act

https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/5547

and the Ensuring Pathways to Innovative Cures (EPIC) Act,

https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/7174/cosponsors?s=7&r=1

would delay or block the price reduction apparatus for many other drugs.

The four have cumulatively taken in more than $400,000 from Big Pharma during just the 2023–2024 congressional session.

https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/don-davis/industries?cid=N00049636&cycle=2024

https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/josh-gottheimer/industries?cid=N00036944&cycle=2024

https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/wiley-nickel/pacs?cid=N00049133&cycle=2024

https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/scott-peters/industries?cid=N00033591&cycle=2024

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