WASHINGTON
– Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), co-author of the
bipartisan Prescription
Drug Pricing Reduction Act of 2020, today released the following
statement regarding President Donald Trump’s executive orders aimed at lowering
prescription drug pricing and sharing the cost of investment in the development
of critical drugs.
“President
Trump continues to lead where both parties in Congress have failed. I have real
concerns about the impact of the executive orders, but I don’t blame President
Trump for doing what he can to deliver on his promise to lower prescription
drug prices. The pharmaceutical industry had every opportunity to avoid tying
drug payments to international prices, including by getting behind
Grassley-Wyden. Their refusal to work with Congress in good faith to fix a
system that is clearly broken causes me to have very little sympathy for an
industry that consistently stands in the way of real reforms.
“The
bipartisan legislation I co-authored with Ranking Member Wyden remains the best
path forward for lower prescription drug costs while preserving innovation. I
remain extremely disappointed
that Democrats put election year politics ahead of the American people and
walked away from the bipartisan legislation they helped write. President
Trump’s executive action will surely be challenged by Big Pharma in the courts,
which is why legislative action is best for making lasting changes to lower
drug costs for patients and families.”