Rep. Tom Price stopped short of joining President-elect Trump’s calls for ending the political power of the pharmaceutical industry and reforms that would increase government’s negotiating power to lower drug prices.
Price is Trump’s nominee to serve as Health and Human Services secretary, which could play a key role in any regulations or reforms on the pharmaceutical industry. Price went before the Senate, Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee for a confirmation hearing Wednesday.
Under questioning from Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Price declined to go as far as Trump on how to solve high drug prices. Sanders asked if Price would help join legislative efforts to give Medicare the power to negotiate for drug prices and enable consumers to import cheaper drugs from other countries.
“You have my commitment to make certain that drug pricing is reasonable and people have access to the medications that they need,” Price said.
Price said that there has been success with generic drugs in lowering prices, but conceded under questioning from Sanders that the U.S. pays the highest prices for prescription drugs.
“I think that is the case. I think there are a lot of reasons for that,” he said.
Trump recently said that bidding on drugs needs to be improved and that he does not plan to protect the pharmaceutical industry.
