In the wake of the White House’s announcement regarding Medicare’s power to negotiate drug prices and its integration into President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign, Republican presidential challengers have chosen to remain silent rather than dispute this achievement. This is a notable departure from their previous campaign against Obamacare. By avoiding the topic of Biden’s prescription drug policy, the GOP has demonstrated a lack of interest in addressing critical domestic policy issues that conflict with public opinion. In turn, this allows Biden to promote a widely popular achievement to key voting blocs in American elections. Ammar Moussa, a spokesperson for Biden’s campaign, stated that Biden had the courage to stand up to Big Pharma and lower prescription drug costs, a promise that previous Republican presidents, including Donald Trump, failed to deliver. Biden hopes that news of the lower drug prices, set to take effect in 2026, will be a significant asset in his bid for a second term, especially since no Republicans supported the comprehensive bill that included the drug provisions. Furthermore, public opinion heavily favors Medicare price negotiation, with over 80% of Americans, including 75% of Republicans, showing support, according to a recent survey. David Mitchell, president of Patients for Affordable Drugs, referred to the Inflation Reduction Act as good politics and good policy, stating that any politician who opposes it goes against the will of the American people.
In response to inquiries from HuffPost, only three candidates, Vivek Ramaswamy, Donald Trump, and Asa Hutchinson, provided a response. Ramaswamy expressed skepticism towards price negotiation, highlighting the misconception behind the term “negotiation” since there is only one party involved. While he did not state whether he would seek to repeal the policy, he emphasized the need to reduce the FDA’s regulation of drugs and dismantle the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Hutchinson cited a 2018 law he signed as an example of his approach to reducing pharmaceutical costs, which regulated pharmacy benefit managers. However, he expressed opposition to Biden’s price negotiation plan without explicitly stating if he would seek its repeal or propose alternative reforms. Pence did not respond to HuffPost, but he has previously expressed concerns about using government power to impose price controls. Trump’s campaign referred to a previous campaign video where he promised to re-issue an executive order that would ensure the best prices for American patients and force foreign countries to pay higher prices. However, Trump’s executive order was withdrawn by the Biden administration after facing legal challenges. Despite Trump’s campaign promises to tackle drug affordability, he ultimately failed to deliver on these promises, displaying inconsistent commitment to the issue.
Overall, the response from Republican presidential challengers regarding Medicare’s drug price negotiation power has been largely muted. Only a few candidates provided a response, and their views varied. The lack of a unified response highlights the disconnect between Republican candidates and public opinion on this issue.
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