Pelosi Introduces Drug Pricing Plan
Claire Harbage/NPR
We ran the numbers: There are 1,471 news articles covering this topic. 60% (888) are left leaning, 29% (432) center, 10% (151) right leaning.
On Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi introduced a new drug-pricing plan that would aim to fight the rising cost of prescription drugs. The plan would allow the federal government to negotiate the prices of at least 25 and up to 250 name-brand drugs in Medicare. President Trump expressed some support for the bill, sparking hope for bipartisan compromise on the issue of health care costs. However, the bill has received criticism from Pelosi’s fellow Democrats, as it is a milder version of an earlier bill that would have guaranteed the negotiation of at least 250 drugs, rather than making the number the maximum.
Left-leaning coverage of the bill’s introduction by the Washington Post focuses on the reactions to Pelosi’s bill, beginning by noting that Trump lauded the rollout of the plan without endorsing it. The article also notes that the bill was quickly condemned by Republicans, whose support will be necessary to get the plan passed by the end of the year. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called the bill “socialist price controls”; the article notes, “McConnell, who would play a key role in any final agreement, called the Pelosi bill a non-starter.”
In contrast, the NY Post published a right-leaning article excoriating Democrats’ health care proposals, headlined “Democrats’ biggest healthcare lies” and beginning with the sentence “When it comes to health care, Democrats are selling snake oil.” The article suggests that the bill would allow the federal government to dictate the price of drugs and bring medical innovation to a halt.
The centrist NPR interviewed Pelosi about her bill: the speaker defended her bill against McConnell’s criticism, suggesting that he is in “the pocket of the pharmaceutical industry.” Pelosi also expressed her support of Democratic candidates Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders who are advocating for Medicare for All but said that it was not a practical way to get things done.
From the left
The Health 202: Trump welcomes Pelosi drug pricing plan, signaling openness to a bipartisan deal
Washington Post