PELOSI'S PLAN TO ELIMINATE DEBATE DOES NOT FAZE DIRECT NEGOTIATION OPPONENTS
Presumptive House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) plan to prevent Republicans from offering alternatives to her Medicare direct negotiation legislation is not discouraging industry critics, who are still working to defeat the proposal.
Pelosi and other Democratic leaders are planning to invoke House rules to prevent opponents from offering amendments to her direct negotiation bill, a Pelosi spokesman said. Pelosi is planning to present the bill during the first 100 hours of the 110th Congress, which convenes Jan. 4.
Pelosi does not see any problems with that approach because direct negotiation is one of several issues with widespread support, the spokesman added.
Regardless of Democrats' procedural maneuver, some industry sources believe that the bill can be defeated. "I just don't think" the proposal has a consensus of support, a Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) source said. Industry will work to defeat the measure by lobbying lawmakers to vote against the bill, the BIO source added.
The proposal would give the federal government the authority to directly negotiate with drug manufacturers for Medicare prices. The plan has already attracted critics ranging from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to PhRMA. These critics maintain that direct negotiation is unnecessary and would limit innovation.