Press Releases
Big Pharma is the Big Winner in Republicans’ Tax Scam
POLITICO: “The reconciliation package included measures that would exempt more drugs from Medicare drug-price negotiations”
WASHINGTON, DC – While 17 million Americans stand to lose access to healthcare, one big winner from the Republican handout to big corporations is Big Pharma. The industry spent heavily to avoid offering affordable medications to Medicare patients, including multiple lawsuits to block the Medicare drug negotiation program established by the Biden administration. Between an executive order and reconciliation, the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress are offering the industry an opportunity to keep prices high.
Between the millions of dollars they’ve spent on lobbyists and campaign contributions, to the frivolous lawsuits they filed, Big Pharma pulled out all the stops to keep their prices high. President Trump and congressional Republicans are rewarding them with a huge handout that comes at the expense of millions of Americans just looking to afford essential care.”
Accountable.US Executive Director Tony Carrk.
“The pharmaceutical industry notched two solid policy wins in the Senate-passed megabill, but the biggest victory for drugmakers is the absence of a dreaded most-favored-nation policy, pharmaceutical lobbyists say.
The reconciliation package included measures that would exempt more drugs from Medicare drug-price negotiations — specifically medicines that treat multiple rare diseases — as well as a sought-after tax break for research and development costs.
Drug-pricing advocates are still pushing the House to remove the Senate language exempting drugs for multiple rare diseases from Medicare price negotiations in the days ahead — a policy they argue would cost taxpayers money…
“The ORPHAN Cures Act is a betrayal of millions of patients on Medicare, and a completely unnecessary $5 billion giveaway to the pharmaceutical industry,” said Merith Basey, executive director of Patients For Affordable Drugs Now, a foundation-funded patient advocacy group.”
