Democrats have been working to push HR 1425, the State Health Care Premium Reduction Act, which would expand the Affordable Care Act and push America even further towards socialized medicine. House Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Greg Walden (R-OR) on Monday introduced a motion to recommit – the Republicans' last attempt to add an amendment to the bill – to prevent the legislation from adversely affecting the research and development of any drug or vaccine intended to treat or prevent a person from catching the coronavirus.
The White House Council of Economic Advisers has estimated that the Democrats’ federal government price-setting policies will result in as many as 100 fewer cures and treatments being released to the American public over the next 10 years. In the past, the Congressional Budget Office, on the other hand, has estimated that between eight and 15 fewer drug treatments would hit the market over the same time span.
As the world grapples with the coronavirus, each potential treatment that doesn't come to fruition can mean the difference between life and death for Americans. It was a point that Walden made during a speech on the House floor on Monday.
"It would prevent the bill from upending the very progress we're all counting on for our innovators to develop new vaccines and therapies to confront this killer coronavirus," he explained. "... Democrats, with a straight face, will come to the floor today to move a bill that will do grave damage to medical innovation. Congressional Budget Office has told us that on many occasions. Upwards of 30 to 100 drugs, depending on the source, could never make it into the pipeline. Will that be a cure for COVID or a cure for ALS or a cure for cancer? We don't know and neither do the Democrats bringing it. But we do know the independent analysis show we will not see a lot of new medicines."
Not surprisingly, the motion to recommit was defeated 223 to 187.
.@repgregwalden wanted to make sure Democrats' bill doesn't prevent development of a coronavirus vaccine.
— Mark Bednar (@MarkBednar) June 29, 2020
Democrats voted AGAINST this idea. pic.twitter.com/SGyXqTgpPm