Having spent 12 years on Capitol Hill, I know just how rare it is to find an issue with real bipartisan consensus. That’s why when a new national survey shows 94% of voters blame pharmaceutical companies for the high cost of healthcare, it demands our serious attention. The American people are speaking with one voice, and every candidate running in the 2026 midterm elections should be listening.
Americans know that Big Pharma’s pricing tactics have gotten out of control, and the vast majority — 89% — are demanding drug pricing reform. The case for it is straightforward. What exists in the pharmaceutical industry today is a rigged game, where patent manipulation, price-gouging, and a lobbying machine keep life-saving drugs out of reach for most people.
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Simply put, Big Pharma gives Americans the world’s worst deal on prescription drugs and puts us last. At the same time, the pharmaceutical industry is raking in the profits from its high-priced prescription drugs. On a recent earnings call, a Big Pharma company increased its revenue forecast by over $2 billion. It’s time lawmakers take real action and advance commonsense policy reforms.
HOW CONGRESS CAN DELIVER HEALTHCARE AFFORDABILITY AND MITIGATE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT DISASTER
Seven specific policy proposals to lower drug prices each cleared 80% support among voters across party lines. International price matching earned 87% support. Quite simply, Americans are fed up with paying three times as much as people in other countries for the exact same drugs. 81% of voters want to reform the patent system to make it easier to bring cheaper generics to market. And voters are tired of being flooded with pharmaceutical ads, with 88% supporting adjustments to Big Pharma’s direct-to-consumer advertising practices.
These are the policy reforms that the American people are demanding as they reach a breaking point with the healthcare affordability crisis.
Perhaps the most striking finding involves the Most Favored Nation pricing policy. President Donald Trump’s executive order would ensure Americans pay no more for prescription drugs than citizens in other comparable nations. When the policy is explained to voters, three in four support Congress codifying that order into law, according to the survey. Among Republicans, that number jumps to 91%. Independents come in at 70%. Even 64% of Democrats are on board. Few policies prompt that type of bipartisan support, and Congress would be wise to take note.
Big Pharma’s response to calls for reform has been to tout voluntary deals with the Trump administration. But these agreements are tough to enforce, expire as soon as three years from now, and may cover only a third of Americans. With its vocal opposition to writing the MFN policy into law, Big Pharma is ignoring the will of the people.
As candidates prepare for the midterm elections, they should seriously consider the extent to which voters want them to take on Big Pharma — 77% say they are more likely to support a candidate who stands up to the pharmaceutical industry. Having watched plenty of political cycles, both as a voter and candidate, one thing is clear: Lawmakers who side with well-funded special interests over their own constituents eventually answer for it. The pharmaceutical industry may have deep pockets, but it doesn’t have 94% of the electorate.
HOSPITALS ARE A PRIME SUSPECT IN THE AFFORDABILITY CRISIS
Healthcare affordability is the defining domestic issue of the 2026 election cycle. Voters have done their part by making their priorities clear. Now, it’s time for elected officials and candidates to act.
The question for every candidate on ballots in November is simple: Are you with the American people, or are you with Big Pharma? Voters have made it clear where they stand.
J.D. Hayworth represented Arizona in the U.S. House from 1995-2007 and is the spokesman for the Pharmaceutical Reform Alliance, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit dedicated to holding Big Pharma accountable.
