Today, the Biden-Harris administration announced the first ten drugs selected for Medicare drug price negotiation thanks to President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. For decades, presidents have tried and failed to deliver this historic step in putting the American people ahead of Big Pharma – but President Biden delivered.

From national headlines to airwaves across the country, here’s what they’re saying about how President Biden and Democrats are lowering prescription drugs costs – no thanks to Republicans in Congress who universally sided with Big Pharma. 

• MSNBC Morning Joe: 

Sen. Amy Klobuchar: “So this is a huge deal… I’ve led this bill for decades. And finally, with President Biden’s leadership, with AARP, taking on the pharmaceutical companies on behalf of 50 million seniors and other senior groups, they’re going to end their sweetheart deal.”

• HuffPost: “‘Republicans, who do not appear to share Biden’s eagerness to debate the issue, have repeatedly said they hope to repeal the entirety of the Inflation Reduction Act, including the ultra-popular provisions giving the federal government the power to negotiate lower prices for prescription drugs… Both Republicans and industry groups insist allowing Medicare to negotiate the price of drugs — something governments do in every other wealthy nation — will slow or stop the development of new drugs.”

• ABC News: “The Biden administration on Tuesday unveiled the first 10 prescription drugs that will be subject to price negotiations with Medicare, marking a milestone for Democrats in their yearslong push to lower rising health care costs.”

• Axios: “The administration’s landmark announcement Tuesday detailed the first-ever set of drugs subject to Medicare price negotiations, a longtime Democratic priority included in last year’s Inflation Reduction Act over drug companies’ fervent objections.”
  
• CNBC: “The Biden administration on Tuesday unveiled the first 10 prescription drugs that will be subject to price negotiations between manufacturers and Medicare, kicking off a controversial process that aims to make costly medications more affordable for older Americans.”

• Forbes: “A push by the Biden administration to lower government spending on prescription medications kicked off Tuesday with the announcement of the 10 drugs taken by millions of older Americans that will be subject to Medicare price negotiations.”

• The Guardian: “The Biden administration has selected 10 drugs for the first round of price negotiations between Medicare and pharmaceutical companies in an effort to lower costs for seniors, it announced on Tuesday.”

• NBC News: “The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on Tuesday announced the first 10 prescription drugs that will be subject to Medicare price negotiations under the Inflation Reduction Act, a critical step in the Biden administration’s attempt to drive down the high cost of prescription drugs for older people.”

• New York Times: “The Biden administration on Tuesday unveiled a long-awaited list of the first 10 medicines that will be subject to price negotiations with Medicare, kicking off a landmark program that is expected to reduce the government’s drug spending but is being fought by the pharmaceutical industry in court.”

• NPR: “The Biden administration has released the list of the first 10 prescription drugs Medicare will start with, and some of those names might be familiar to you from TV ads or maybe even your medicine cabinet – Eliquis and Xarelto, which are blood thinners, and Jardiance, which is a diabetes medicine, just to name three.”

• Reuters: “The Biden administration on Tuesday released its list of 10 prescription medicines that will be subject to the first-ever price negotiations by the U.S. Medicare health program that covers 66 million people, with big-selling blood thinner Eliquis from Bristol Myers Squibb (BMY.N) and Pfizer (PFE.N) among them.”

• TIME: “The move is expected to cut costs for some patients but faces litigation from the drugmakers and heavy criticism from Republican lawmakers. It’s also a centerpiece of the Democratic president’s reelection pitch as he seeks a second term in office by touting his work to lower costs for Americans at a time when the country has struggled with inflation.”

• USA Today: “The Biden administration this week is expected to announce the first 10 prescription drugs the federal government will negotiate under a new federal law that aims to reduce the cost of Medicare’s most expensive medicines.”

• Washington Post: “The Biden administration Tuesday identified 10 expensive prescription drugs it has chosen for price negotiations with pharmaceutical manufacturers as the government seeks to ease the financial burden on older and disabled Americans. The announcement marks an unprecedented step in a long political war over the nation’s exorbitant drug costs even as the pharmaceutical industry is still trying to block the plan.”

On local TV:

• In California: KTLA Los Angeles: “For the first time ever, Medicare will negotiate with drug manufacturers over the price of some medications. The Biden administration has announced the name of the 10 drugs that could see their prices come down.”
  
• In Louisiana: WDSU New Orleans: “The government just announced a major step forward to reduce the cost of prescription drugs, the Biden administration will announce the first drugs Medicare will negotiate lower prices for under the Inflation Reduction Act.”
  
• In Missouri: KMBC Kansas City: “The program, part of the Democrat-only Inflation Reduction Act passed last year, allows Medicare to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies to lower prices.”
  
• In New Mexico: KOAT Albuquerque: “President Biden announced this morning he’s going to be pursuing talks with diabetes drug Jardiance, [a] blood thinner, as well as eight others, hoping that patients on Medicare could save money as soon as 2026. So as part of the White House’s Inflation Reduction Act, the government’s going to start price negotiations by early next year.”
  
• In Pennsylvania: PCNC Pittsburgh: “President Biden is expected to take the first major step in dramatically lowering the cost of some common prescription drugs. The White House will officially announce the first 10 drugs that it will begin negotiating the prices of with manufacturers for Medicare patients.”
  
• In Texas: FOX 26 Houston: “Today in Washington, the Biden administration is set to announce the first batch of prescription drugs that will be subject to new price negotiations with Medicare. Among the drugs included are the diabetes treatment Jardiance and Entresto, which is used to treat heart failure and the blood thinner Eliquis. And many see this as an important first step in lowering drug costs for Medicare recipients.”