Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, told CNBC on Tuesday that he wants House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to drop her drug pricing bill and support his legislation instead.
Grassley told “Squawk Box” that although Pelosi’s plan passed through the House in December, his bill is the only one that can “get the 60 votes required” in the Senate. He said Pelosi’s bill won’t gain enough support from Republicans, who hold the majority in the Upper Chamber, noting that it does not allow the government to negotiate lower prices on some drugs.
He added that support from Pelosi would put “pressure on the leadership of the United States Senate to get our bill up. The president supports it. We have bipartisan support in the Senate.”
Grassley also noted in a tweet last week that prescription drug manufacturers have raised the list price on more than 250 drugs by an average of five percent this year.
Pelosi’s office did not respond to CNBC’s request for comment.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.