Biden campaign criticizes Scott’s contrasting vote on drug price caps

The reelection campaign of President Biden criticized presidential candidate Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) for promoting caps on drug prices for seniors despite his vote against the Inflation Reduction Act.

In a video shared with The Hill, the campaign compiled clips of Scott praising the cost caps for seniors while stating that the Inflation Reduction Act should be eliminated, despite voting against it.

“One of the things we did for our seniors in the last Congress, not this Congress, last Congress, is we were able to cap out-of-pocket expenses, and that’s a really good thing,” Scott said in an interview with KCCI Des Moines this week.

The video then cuts to Scott during a Senate hearing, criticizing the legislation that Biden signed into law in August 2022.

“I would simply eliminate the IRA, the Inflation Reduction Act, which of course is a lie from the pit of hell. I would start the process of gutting that legislation,” Scott said.

The Inflation Reduction Act enables Medicare to negotiate the price of prescription drugs and sets a price cap of $35 for insulin for seniors.

The bill is a major achievement for Biden and has faced opposition from other lawmakers seeking to modify certain provisions, such as tax incentives for clean energy and electric vehicles.

Biden has also called out other lawmakers, like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who voted against legislation he supported but later praised its benefits in their districts, such as investments in manufacturing.