Ahead of Trump’s speech today on lowering the cost of prescription drugs, DNC spokesperson Daniel Wessel released the following statement:

“Time and time again, Trump promised to take on the pharmaceutical industry and lower prescription drug costs. Instead, Trump filled his administration with industry insiders and gave massive tax giveaways to pharmaceutical companies, all while prescription drug prices continue to skyrocket — and his proposals could actually make things even worse.

“This is what we have come to expect from Trump, and today will be no different. While Trump delivers empty words and broken promises, Democrats will continue to fight to lower the cost of prescription drugs and ensure people can get the medications they need.”

Trump’s plan breaks his promises to lower drug prices:

• In a break from one of his major campaign promises, Trump will not call for Medicare to negotiate lower prices with drug manufacturers.

• Trump’s drug pricing blueprint is unlikely to call for the importation of drugs from overseas, which Trump promised on the campaign trail.

• Despite Trump’s promise to save the United States $300 billion per year on prescription drugs, drug prices have soared under Trump’s watch.

• Trump promised to stand up to the pharmaceutical industry, but during his first year in office the pharmaceutical industry significantly increased their federal lobbying – and it seems to have paid off. 

Trump's proposals could actually increase prescriptoin drug costs: 

• None of the policies in Trump’s budget would tackle the biggest driver of high prices by preventing drugmakers from setting whatever price they want.

• Trump’s Medicare Part D proposal could lead to around 4.5 million Medicare beneficiaries paying about $1,000 more for their prescription drugs.

Trump filled his administration with pharmaceutical insiders:

• Trump’s HHS secretary spent most of the past decade inside the drug industry, one of the key sectors he is supposed to regulate, and led a company that boosted prescription drug prices.

• Trump’s HHS secretary surrounded himself with pharmaceutical company insiders, even tapping a former pharma executive to run the agency’s drug pricing reform efforts.