WASHINGTON — A group of 10 moderate Democrats is urging House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to pursue drug pricing reform that is “bipartisan” and has “bicameral support, with buy-in from a majority of Americans and stakeholders in the public and private sectors,” according to a copy of a May 3 letter obtained by STAT.
Pharmaceutical industry lobbyists say the letter, which was spearheaded by Reps. Scott Peters (D-Calif.) and Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.), calls into question whether Pelosi has the votes to pass her signature drug pricing bill, H.R. 3. That bill would let Medicare negotiate over drug prices and threaten huge fines for drug companies that don’t comply.
The letter does not explicitly say that the signers will vote against H.R. 3, which passed with unanimous Democratic support last Congress. But Democrats can only lose a handful of votes in the House without needing Republicans to support the bill.
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