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Writer's pictureAlex Kawa

Grassley Wants Senate to Take Up His Bipartisan Drug Bill. What About the One the House Passed?

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) is one of a handful of Republicans in Washington who is demanding that Congress take action on the issue of skyrocketing prescription drug costs. In September, he introduced a bill, the Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act of 2019, that "would make changes to Medicare by adding an out-of-pocket maximum for beneficiaries," according to CNBC. This bill would not, however, allow Medicare to negotiate the prices of these drugs, contrary to the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, which the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives passed last month. Earlier this month, Grassley encouraged House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to abandon the bill and instead put pressure on the Senate to pass his; he says it's the only one that can get 60 votes, as required to pass such a bill. However, research has shown that allowing Medicare, which spends over $129 billion per year on prescription drugs, to negotiate prices would likely be the most effective way to reduce their costs. According to AARP, "a recent analysis [found that] Medicare could have saved $14.4 billion on just 50 drugs in 2016 if the program had paid the same prices as the Department of Veterans Affairs, which is allowed to bargain for discounts." With the large amount of buying power Medicare has over prescription drugs, if permitted by Congress, the program could easily use its power to negotiate lower costs for them. So, if Sen. Grassley wants the Senate to take action on this issue so bad, why is he settling for a bill that does not include the most effective way to do so?


Well, as it turns out, the pharmaceutical industry has contributed a fair amount to Grassley's campaign through PAC and lobbyist money. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, PACs affiliated with the industry have donated $141,764 to his campaign this election cycle. Additionally, the senator has received a good amount from the three largest pharmaceutical lobbying groups -- Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), and Pfizer. He has taken $1,500 from PhRMA lobbyists Monica Popp and George G. Olsen, the latter of whom is also a lobbyist for Pfizer, as well as $2,000 from Dave Boyer and Brent Del Monte, lobbyists for BIO. Haven taken money from these PACs and individuals, it is not surprising to see Grassley unwilling to push for a bill that would truly put the people over the pharmaceutical industry's profits. It's a shame that one of the most outspoken congressional Republicans on the issue of prescription drug costs is still listening to his donors and, as a result, refusing to take the best path forward.


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