Rep. Doggett: Voters Support Biden Using His Authority to Rein in Pharmaceutical Monopolies and Lower Drug Prices
By Representative Lloyd Doggett
No American should be forced to choose between paying for rent, food, and other necessities or paying for lifesaving medications. Yet, far too often, our neighbors must ration or even forgo the prescription drugs they need.
Last Congress, the Inflation Reduction Act made very modest progress in reducing prices on a handful of drugs under Medicare, but the law failed to extend this protection to the millions of Americans with employer insurance, other forms of coverage, or our most vulnerable — the uninsured. While more legislative work is required to overcome Republican opposition and close the great gaps in the IRA that exclude most Americans, the Biden administration already has the power to immediately deliver lower prices for many medications. Taxpayers invest approximately $115 billion annually in research and development but are still burdened with astronomical prices for the resulting products.
President Biden has the authority to lower prescription drug prices. We cannot waste this opportunity to help millions of American families.
In December, the Biden administration released draft guidance on a framework for federal agencies to use when evaluating whether a product developed through taxpayer-funded research is unreasonably priced. Though welcoming the administration’s acknowledgment of the need to prevent price gouging and provide taxpayer accountability, I led more than 75 of my colleagues in the House and Senate in urging stronger guidance to be quickly finalized and immediate action to seek lower prices.
New Data for Progress polling finds that voters widely support President Biden using his authority to make prescription drugs discovered through taxpayer-funded research more widely available.
Whether the issue is framed as “President Biden making drugs discovered through taxpayer-funded research more widely available” or “President Biden preventing private companies from exclusively offering drugs discovered through taxpayer-funding research,” the polling finds that majorities of voters support these policies.
Furthermore, when provided with this added context — Taxpayer-funded healthcare research led to a breakthrough drug to fight prostate cancer. Now, the drug company Pfizer sells that drug for over $189,000 per patient — voters’ support increases for Biden using his authority to prevent private companies from exclusively offering drugs discovered through taxpayer-funded research. This includes an increase from 61% to 67% among voters overall, from 60% to 67% among Independents, and from 46% to 51% among Republicans.
Unfortunately last year, the Biden administration declined to lower the cost of the prostate cancer drug Xtandi, allowing Pfizer and Astellas to evade price accountability. Data for Progress’ polling results indicate the president failed to achieve a major win, not just for his administration but for consumers across the country. Our focus should always be on the health and safety of Americans, not the excessive demands of Big Pharma.
Even when voters are provided with different opposition arguments, voters strongly encourage President Biden to take action to lower drug costs. Support is strong regardless of whether voters are informed of Big Pharma’s claims that this would hurt drug innovation (76% still support), that the government shouldn’t interfere with the private sector (70% still support), and that this is extensive government overreach (69% still support).
This polling makes one thing glaringly clear: Voters strongly support President Biden using his authority to make prescription drugs funded through taxpayer-funded research more widely available. This support stands strong against arguments in opposition, with more than two-thirds of voters continuing to support these efforts after seeing counterarguments.
In my home state of Texas, families struggle to find alternative ways to afford prescriptions. To respond to exorbitant prices, our state lawmakers are trying to set up a program that facilitates the importation of cheaper prescription drugs from Canada. Rather than states being forced to go north for affordability, it’s long overdue for President Biden to use his existing authority to reduce prices when taxpayers have financed the very research that produced a new medication.
We have the support. Let’s deliver on our promise.
Rep. Lloyd Doggett (@RepLloydDoggett) is the U.S. representative for Texas’ 37th Congressional District.