Sanders: Will Trump Really Take on Pharmaceutical Industry? I Hope So

[Donkees]

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

WASHINGTON, Jan. 31 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said Tuesday he will soon introduce legislation to lower prescription drug prices and hoped that President Donald Trump would support the effort.

Sanders and Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.) are drafting legislation to significantly bring down drug prices in the United States.

While five major drug manufacturers made more than $50 billion in profits in 2015, nearly 1 in 5 Americans could not afford the medicine they were prescribed at a time when Americans pay, by far, the highest prices in the world for prescription medicine. “It is beyond comprehension that while Americans are dying because they cannot afford the medications they need, the 10 highest-paid CEOs in the pharmaceutical industry collectively made $327 million in 2015,” Sanders said.

“I look forward to working with President Trump on this issue if he is serious about standing up to the pharmaceutical industry and reducing drug prices,” Sanders said after Trump met with chief executives of several top drugmakers at the White House Tuesday.

The Sanders and Cummings proposal would allow Medicare, the health care program for seniors and people with disabilities, to negotiate with drugmakers for lower prices. “The root of this problem is that we are the only major country not to negotiate drug prices with the pharmaceutical industry. You can walk into a pharmacy today and the price could be double or even three times what you paid for the same medicine a year ago,” Sanders said.

Their legislation also would allow the importation of less expensive but safe and affordable drugs from other countries. The allergy treatment EpiPen, for example, costs $638 in the U.S. compared to $293 in Canada. A popular drug for high cholesterol, Crestor, costs $779 in the U.S. but $201 in Canada. Abilify, a depression medication, costs $2,852 for a 90-day supply in the U.S. but only $546 in Canada.

https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/sanders-will-trump-really-take-on-pharmaceutical-industry-i-hope-so

[nycbos]

1. If Sanders actually believes that Trump will take on phrama....

... I have bridge in Brooklyn to sell him.

[LanternWaste]

4. If you actually believe this is a sincere overture rather than simple political maneuvering

If you actually believe this is a sincere overture rather than simple, standard political maneuvering, I have a bridge in the Sahara to sell you.

[nycbos]

6. He praised him on the TPP.

I think he believes that he can work with him.

[thesquanderer]

18. Here's the quote, he didn't praise Trump per se (despite some misleading headlines)

I am glad the Trans-Pacific Partnership is dead and gone,” Sanders said. “For the last 30 years, we have had a series of trade deals – including the North American Free Trade Agreement, permanent normal trade relations with China and others – which have cost us millions of decent-paying jobs and caused a ‘race to the bottom’ which has lowered wages for American workers. Now is the time to develop a new trade policy that helps working families, not just multinational corporations. If President Trump is serious about a new policy to help American workers, then I would be delighted to work with him.”

[NWCorona]

10. Bernie understands that reverse psychology doesn't work on Trump

So he's using direct psychology. Trump is easily triggered and that isn't a good thing.

[SMC22307]

12. He's goading him...

and will pounce, along with Elijah Cummings (D-MD), when Drumpf breaks his promise. Astronomical prescription drug costs affect everyone, but seniors in particular -- a voting bloc that pays attention. The GOP claims Medicare is too costly and wants to slash benefits and raise the entitlement age from 65 to 67. Connect the dots: insanely expensive drugs are a contributing factor, and Sanders and other Democrats are trying to fix the problem. This is a vital issue and should not be diminished by anyone one this board who purports to be a Democrat.

[DeminPennswoods]

2. Right now, this is the least of our problems

No offense to Sen Sanders and Rep Cummings, but right now there are a few more important issues facing our country.

[Donkees]

7. like this?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10028571258

[SMC22307]

17. Ha ha... exactly.

Who wants to talk about cuts to Medicare when there are movies to be made!

[SMC22307]

13. We can walk and chew gum at the same time.

The NC GOP slashed and burned its way through North Carolina... they don't sit around fretting about "timing." The slash-and-burn is coming nationwide folks, and Medicare is on the chopping block. The GOP wants to cut Medicare benefits and raise the entitlement age from 65 to 67 because they claim the program is too costly. Connect the dots: insanely expensive drugs contribute the cost. This is an issue of vital importance and should not be dismissed by anyone on this board who claims to be a Democrat.

[TrekLuver]

3. I...just....can't.

[randome]

5. Me, either.

[hr][font color="blue"][center]Aspire to inspire.[/center][/font][hr]

[uponit7771]

14. +1

[SMC22307]

16. I can. Slashed benefits and the age raised from 65 to 67...

some on this board may poo-poo that, but this is a HUGE issue to millions of Americans. The GOP isn't going to sit around waiting for the "right time," they're going to steamroll the fuck out of this country like the NC GOP did when it seized power. I applaud Mr. Sanders and Mr. Cummings for sounding the alarm on the issue of exorbitant prescription drug costs.

Walk and chew gum at the same time -- YES WE CAN.

[Quayblue]

24. Ikr

[Blue_Adept]

8. Further regretting my vote for him in the primary

All this does is further legitimize Trump at a point where it's plain and clear that Trump is dismantling all the norms of governance.

[SMC22307]

19. He's taunting him.

Surely you get that.

[Blue_Adept]

20. Yeah, no. Trump doesn't give a shit. Truly.

Roll your eyes elsewhere.

[SMC22307]

21. Um, yeah. Of course Trump doesn't give a shit...

but millions of Americans of all political stripes do give a shit about prescription drug costs, Medicare cuts, raised entitlement age, etc. and they're paying attention, and they vote.

Truly.

[TCJ70]

22. Woah...it's OK to hope for the best and expect the worst.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with what Sanders said. If Trump does something to address the pharma industry's wrongs, great! If not, I expected that!

[Fresh_Start]

9. he delegitimized Clinton and the democratic party in the primaries..

putin supported Sanders as a disrupter to the democratic party.
he legitimized trumps not releasing his tax returns
he split the democratic supporters allowing trump to win
he says he can work with trump

can we stop talking about and hero-izing bernie

[alarimer]

11. This is nonsense.

Bernie is far better than most in the Senate. And sometimes it does pay to be strategic about opposition. If (and that is a really big if because I doubt it will even happen) Trump proposes something that is good, the Democrats need to work with him on it, maybe undercutting Republicans in the process. I'm not holding my breath, but I believe this is all Bernie has been saying.

And you are wrong about the primary, by the way. Having a robust fight in the primaries is a good thing and should always happen. It's should be no one's "turn" at the nomination. Not ever. I voted for him because I hated the idea that the nomination should be handed to anyone without competition. Otherwise we might as well return to the bad old days of back-room deals.

[Fresh_Start]

25. A robust fight in the primary...BEFORE the nomination is determined is okay

as long as it does not play into the opposition's hands.

This time Bernie's actions ultimately supported Trump's win.
So the strategy was terribly flawed...and we are all paying for it now.

[alarimer]

26. Prove that Bernie cost her the election.

You have not one shred of evidence.

[ismnotwasm]

15. Sanders is doing what Sanders always did

He is well known for playing the middle-man between Democrats and Republicans. I am surprised he hasn't joined the resistance however.

[SidDithers]

23. After meeting with pharma lobbyists, Trump drops promise to negotiate drug prices

The new plan is tax cuts and deregulation.

A lot happened in the 2016 campaign, but one of the things Donald Trump did to win the election was shift to the left on a number of key issues — promising to avoid cuts in Social Security and Medicare benefits and adopting a longstanding Democratic pledge to let Medicare negotiate bulk discounts in the price it pays for prescription drugs.

Today, after a meeting with pharmaceutical industry lobbyists and executives, he abandoned that pledge, referring to an idea he supported as recently as three weeks ago as a form of “price fixing” that would hurt “smaller, younger companies.” Instead of getting tough, Trump’s new plan is that he’s “going to be lowering taxes” and “getting rid of regulations.”

New drugs are generally covered by patent monopolies, so drug companies have a lot of pricing power; other companies can’t produce the same drug without paying royalties, so there’s little competition. But most countries use their nationalized health care systems to negotiate a good deal on drug prices. Manufacturing pills is cheap, so it’s usually still profitable for a company to sell medicine at a pretty steep discount.

http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/1/31/14453740/trump-medicare-prescription-drugs

Delightful!

Sid

[BeyondGeography]

27. Trump isn't ever going to do shit with you, Bernie

Just stop.