Ron DeSantis’s shadow presidential campaign picked up its first congressional endorsement today from fellow Freedom Caucus member Chip Roy, whose most recent claim to fame is holding McCarthy’s speakership hostage, calling for government shutdowns to repeal caps for prescription drug costs, and advocating for cuts to Social Security and Medicare. 

Here’s the kind of record DeSantis’s first endorser holds: In a move that prioritizes Big Pharma over working families, Roy sponsored legislation that would repeal the Inflation Reduction Act, which could raise the cost of life-saving prescription drugs.

American Independent: “H.R. 812, known officially as ‘To repeal the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022,’ was introduced on Feb. 3 by Rep. Andrew Ogles (R-TN). The legislation has 22 co-sponsors, all Republicans, including Reps. Matt Gaetz (FL), George Santos (NY), Andy Biggs (AZ), Chip Roy (TX), Byron Donalds (FL), and Harriet Hageman (WY).”

Roy’s rush to endorse DeSantis is a match made in MAGA heaven – both Republicans have been hellbent on cutting Social Security and Medicare, too.

CNN: “‘Hell no,’ Rep. Chip Roy of Texas said when asked if he’d support a clean debt ceiling hike without slashing discretionary programs at federal agencies and mandatory spending, which includes entitlement programs like Medicare and Social Security.

‘There’s a lot of fat and garbage that’s way off the mission that we can cut, Roy said.”

Semafor: “During his time in Congress, meanwhile, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis voted for a series of budget resolutions crafted by the conservative Republican Study Committee that would have voucherized Medicare for new beneficiaries, slowed Social Security cost of living increases, and raised the retirement age for both programs.”

CNN: “A CNN KFile review of comments from DeSantis’ 2012 congressional campaign found he repeatedly said he supported plans to replace Medicare with a system in which the government paid for partial costs of private plans or a traditional Medicare plan. In one interview with a local newspaper, DeSantis said he supported ‘the same thing’ for Social Security, citing the need for ‘market forces’ to restructure the program.”