American patients shouldn’t foot the bill for the world’s medicines

Published September 17, 2026 8:00am ET



Heading into November, voters rank healthcare costs as their single biggest economic worry. For the first time since Kaiser Family Foundation began tracking the question in 2018, a majority now say they’re specifically anxious about affording their prescriptions. And right now, voters trust Democrats more than Republicans to do something about it, by roughly 12 points, and by a similar margin on drug affordability specifically.

Republicans can close that gap. We have the ideas that actually work, such as transparency and free-market competition rather than Washington price-setting, and trade leverage instead of surrendering to foreign governments that have spent decades exploiting American drug innovation.

Already a print subscriber? Click here to login/register your account

Trusted reporting.Unlimited access.

Subscribe for full access to Washington Examiner coverage, expert political analysis, and subscriber-only journalism.

Get Unlimited Access

Already a member? Log in

Cancel anytime.