Republican Sen. Mike Crapo of Idaho blocked Sen. Bernie Sanders’ attempt Wednesday to force a vote on legislation that would slash prescription drug prices, thwarting the Vermont senator’s effort to fast-track the new bill as the pharmaceutical industry rushes to hike costs in the new year.
Sanders, chair of the Senate Budget Committee, requested unanimous consent to proceed to debate and a vote on the Cutting Medicare Prescription Drug Prices in Half Act, a measure he introduced earlier Wednesday alongside Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.).
If passed, the bill would bring the prices of drugs covered by Medicare into line with what the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) or the Federal Supply Schedule pay for the same medications.
According to a 2017 Government Accountability Office study, the VA “paid an average of 54% less per unit than Medicare” for a sample of hundreds of brand-name and generic drugs.
But Crapo — a major recipient of pharmaceutical and insurance industry donations — objected to Sanders’ request to advance the legislation, claiming it would usher in “more bureaucracy.”
Hellbound and Down 