Views
Opinion column
by Murrel Bland
U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids (D-3rd Dist.) joined 229 of her fellow Democrats late last year along with two Republicans in voting for the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act. This was among the issues that she reported on at the monthly meeting of the Congressional Forum Friday, Feb. 21, at Children’s Mercy Park.
The Kansas City, Kansas, Area Chamber of Commerce sponsors the Congressional Forum.
The legislation would allow the federal government to negotiate the cost of prescription drugs for Medicare, limit out-of-pocket costs for Medicare participants and prevent drug price hikes. It would also require the cost of drugs be included in advertisements. President Donald Trump and U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) are opposed to the bill. Sen. McConnell is Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate. However, the Senate has an alternative bill.
A nonpartisan analysis by the Congressional Budget Office found that the House proposal would save $456 billion in Medicare Part D spending from 2023 through 2029. The Office of the Actuary found that it would save households $158 billion and private businesses $46 billion.
Opposition to the House proposal came from Mike Guerra, the president of the California Life Sciences Association. He said although the cost of drugs might be lower, it would reduce biopharma earnings by 58 percent and sacrifice some 80,000 jobs nationwide.
Rep. Davids said that she is pleased to serve on the small business and infrastructure committees in the U.S. House.
Rep. Davids has not announced if she will seek a second term; however, political observers believe she will. So far, four Republicans, all from Johnson County, have announced. They are Amanda Adkins, Mike Beehler, Adrienne Vallejo Foster and Sara Hart Weir.
Murrel Bland is the former editor of The Wyandotte West and The Piper Press. He is the executive director of Business West.