As Drug Prices Continue to Go Up, and Republicans Hand Gifts to Big Pharma, Democrats Offer Bold Vision to Lower Drug Costs for All Americans
WASHINGTON – Senators Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), and Peter Welch (D-VT) today announced a new effort to lower the cost of prescription drugs after Donald Trump broke his promise to lower drug prices for Americans. Since January 1, 2026, drug companies have increased prices for 948 brand name drugs.
“When Big pharma gets richer off the back of a grandmother struggling to pay for cancer medication, the system is broken. That’s what this is all about: big pharma execs sitting in their fancy corner offices profiting off of sick, working-class Americans,” said Senator Gallego. “We are not going to accept an America where millions of families live in fear of getting sick and needing to fill a prescription. We are going to fight and fight hard for a health care system that does what Donald Trump never did: actually lower costs for working families.”
Watch the press conference announcing this effort HERE.
“There is no greater fraud than Donald J. Trump when it comes to lower drug prices,” said Senator Wyden. “Our doors are wide open to anybody who wants to take the bold next step forward on lowering drug costs for Americans. Let’s supercharge Medicare negotiations, leave middlemen nowhere to hide their shameless profiteering, and end the Trump and RFK Jr. chaos while restoring the prestige of the research and science community. Today is an important step for Democrats to show there’s a better way to lower Americans’ health care costs.”
“Americans are being forced to choose between getting the medication they need and putting food on the table – especially with this administration’s policies raising prices on everyday items,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “That’s why Democrats are taking steps to continue the work we started and make health care more affordable. We have a plan to lower prescription drug costs even further, and we’re going to keep fighting to lower health care costs for Americans across this country.”
“The President loves to talk a big game and make promises to working families about lowering prescription drug prices. But in reality, his Administration is handling this like a PR problem: they’ve got to keep moving and talking about it, but then do nothing to really address the crisis. That includes the collapse of the ACA’s premium tax credits — families and businesses have no way of affording it,” said Senator Welch. “Democrats are determined to bring prices down, and we’re willing to work with anyone to find concrete ways to do it. We’re going to lower health care costs and ensure everyone can access affordable, life-saving, and pain-relieving medication.”
In a letter to senators, Gallego, Wyden, Cortez Masto, and Welch announced an effort to rein in Big Pharma’s outrageous price increases, lower costs for consumers, guarantee predictability for patients, and reduce wasteful government spending that pads the profits of big corporations.
The letter outlines three goals that will be a priority for Senate Democrats:
- Lowering the prices drug manufacturers charge, including an expansion of Medicare negotiation
- Reducing out-of-pocket drug costs by continuing to crack down on middlemen
- Restoring and bolstering American innovation
Read the Dear Colleague letter HERE.
Read the flash report on Trump’s broken promise to lower drug prices HERE.
