Vice President Kamala Harris has been a key leader fighting for improved maternal health outcomes, elevating the issue nationally and convening experts and activists to find solutions.
She is leading the charge to tackle this crisis.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) August 18, 2024
President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris celebrated a major achievement in healthcare policy during a joint appearance in Maryland on Thursday. The event focused on the initial results of Medicare’s new power to negotiate drug prices, a key provision of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. Biden highlighted the expected billions of dollars in savings on 10 of the most expensive prescription drugs.
From the time I was in the Senate, I worked tirelessly to give Medicare the power to negotiate lower drug prices.
For years, Big Pharma blocked any progress.@KamalaHarris and I finally beat Big Pharma. And we did it with no help from Republicans. pic.twitter.com/8HOGP4hg4P
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) August 17, 2024
He noted that he has been advocating for Medicare drug price negotiation legislation since his first Senate term in 1973. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long, long time,” he said. The president also criticized pharmaceutical companies and Republicans for their opposition to the legislation.
“For years, Big Pharma blocked Medicare from negotiating lower drug prices,” Biden said. “This time, we finally beat Big Pharma.
Biden celebrates Medicare price negotiation
It’s been a real privilege to be part of a team delivering on a core promise – lower prescription drug prices. What a week!
Opinion | Biden hands Harris a healthy economy as she moves toward November – The Washington Post https://t.co/pbj87HFisP
— Neera Tanden🌻 (@neeratanden) August 18, 2024
And, I might add, with no help from Republicans. Not a single Republican voted for this bill, period.”
Harris emphasized her own role in passing the legislation, stating, “Two years ago, as vice president, I was proud to cast the tiebreaking vote that allowed Medicare the power to negotiate and delivered this bill to the president’s desk.”
The joint appearance served as a display of unity and shared commitment to their ongoing agenda. Biden promised to continue efforts to expand these savings, stating, “Kamala and I are going to keep fighting to lower the prescription drug costs for everyone, not just seniors.
It’s a fight that we have to continue.”
The announcement signifies a major achievement for the Biden-Harris administration, showing promises delivered on their commitment to reduce prescription drug prices. Medicare price negotiation is widely popular, and the White House has been making efforts to take credit for the accomplishment. The event also marked Biden’s return to the public eye after a period of relative absence following his withdrawal from the presidential race.
He joked about his age, referred to former President Trump as “Donald Dump,” and delivered a line that had previously caused him difficulty during a debate. The appearance had the potential for awkwardness, with Harris’s face emblazoned on a shirt worn by a member of the crowd, but Biden kept the focus on the administration’s achievements and plans for the future.
- TheHill.”Biden, Harris take victory lap on drug pricing during joint appearance”.
- CNN.”See how Kamala Harris honored Biden at event”.
- NYTimes.”A Disappearing President Steps Back Into the Limelight”.