Dems Land Awkwardly On The Side Of Higher Drug Price

Democrats should have been jumping for joy Monday after President Donald Trump announced his plan to lower prescription drug costs. Affordable medicine is something constituents need and lawmakers have promised for years.

Last month, the Senate Judiciary Committee moved six bipartisan but largely Democrat bills aimed at lowering drug prices. None of the bills offer industry-wide solutions, but it still puts them on record as claiming to care about lowering drug costs.

But they don’t care enough to collaborate. Any desire Democrats may have to solve a problem is dwarfed by their scorn for Trump.

As the president tackles problems with universal appeal, Democrats are stuck in resistance mode.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., cast doom on Trump’s plan Monday on the Senate floor, calling it “… little more than a photo op masquerading as reform.” 

Americans have long paid more for prescriptions compared to other countries, even for the many drugs developed in the U.S.

The higher prices have been defended as necessary to help fund the cost of drug research and development. But while Americans pay through the nose, other countries get a discount.

“Americans should not be forced to subsidize low-cost prescription drugs and biologics in other developed countries, and face overcharges for the same products in the United States,” Trump’s order reads. It calls for Americans to be given a “Most-favored-nation price” and gives his administration 30 days to get the costs down to what “comparably developed nations,” are paying.

“My Administration will take immediate steps to end global freeloading and, should drug manufacturers fail to offer American consumers the most-favored-nation lowest price, my Administration will take additional aggressive action,” the order continues.

The Federalist asked Schumer’s office for comment on Trump’s plan but received no response. However, Schumer telegraphed his intent to throw spikes under Trump’s tires, predicting the executive order will flop.

“Donald Trump can say he’s doing an executive order, but the odds are overwhelming that it will fail. The real way to make drug price reform happen is to do what Democrats do — and what Donald Trump is loath to do — roll up your sleeves and do the hard work of passing legislation,” says the guy who has failed to lower drug prices across the board. Democrats didn’t solve the problem while in power.

In July, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., proposed the Prescription Drug Affordability and Access Act that would create a new agency called the Bureau of Prescription Drug Affordability and Access. It would review and set drug prices.

In other words, expand government and create more red tape. The Federalist asked Booker’s office for his thoughts on Trump’s plan. Would he support it? His office didn’t answer.

Last month Booker complained Trump was doing nothing to lower drug prices. But no one will be surprised if Booker now finds a reason to criticize Trump’s executive order.

Many lawmakers have offered partial solutions. But they have not brought relief to U.S. citizens overpaying for healing medicines.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. said Monday that lawmakers have been promising they would lower drug costs for decades, while knowing they would never have to actually do it, because pharmaceutical companies, with their lobbyists and mega donations, have so much influence in Congress.

Democrats have run interference on most of Trump’ executive orders and it is getting embarrassing.

They object to DOGE uncovering corrupt spending. They buck the deportation of illegal aliens with criminal histories. They crave continued war. And now they will likely try to stop Trump from making your prescription drugs affordable.

This can’t go on forever. If Democrats keep a tight grip on the wrong side of every issue, it will ultimately lead to their demise. Most folks are not buying what the left is selling anymore, and no one knows what they stand for, beyond resisting Trump.   

Beth Brelje is an elections correspondent for The Federalist. She is an award-winning investigative journalist with decades of media experience.