Biden's drug policy: "100 more high-tech drug detection machines" at the border
Biden also said prescription drugs are "probably" cheaper in Russia than in the US
President Joe Biden delivered his third State of the Union speech tonight in Washington, DC. In it, he included several remarks about drug policy. I decided to forego the usual Drugism excerpt and, instead, put together a quick piece outlining Biden’s comments on drug policy this evening.
There was no mention of drugs until roughly twenty minutes in, when Biden said, “Americans pay more for prescription drugs than anywhere else in the world.” He continued: “It’s wrong, and I’m ending it.” He even went so far as to claim “we finally beat Big Pharma,” referring to the Medicare insulin price cap.
As for “what to do next,” Biden insisted that he wants to cap insulin at $35 per month “for every American who needs it—everyone.” He then discussed the Medicare drug price negotiation program that recently went into effect and which presently only applies to a small number of drugs.
“It’s now time to go further,” he said, “and give Medicare the power to negotiate lower prices for five hundred different drugs over the next decade.” He pointed out a new policy that will take effect next year which caps drug costs for seniors on Medicare at $2,000 per year. He then went on to make what was probably his boldest claim regarding prescription drug policy for the evening.
“Now I want to cap prescription drugs costs at $2,000 a year for everyone,” Biden said. This remark was met with sharp applause. “Folks, I’m gonna get in trouble for saying that,” Biden quipped.
“But if any of you wanna get in the Air Force One with me,” he continued, “and fly to Toronto, Berlin, Moscow—I mean, excuse me, well, even Moscow, probably—and bring your prescription with you and I promise you I’ll get it for ya for 40% of the cost you’re paying now. Same company, same drug…”
The Moscow gaffe was met with laughter but the fact that Biden let it stand is itself notable, considering the present political tension between Russia and the US. He soon made his way to other topics but did eventually also mention—briefly—fentanyl and marijuana policy.
I seem to recall Biden spending considerably more time on fentanyl in his first couple of SOTU speeches. Tonight, he only mentioned fentanyl twice, by my count. Cannabis got a single mention in the lengthy talk.
Regarding fentanyl, Biden boasted of a bill currently making its way through Congress that calls for “one hundred more high-tech drug detection machines to significantly increase the ability to screen and stop vehicles smuggling fentanyl into America” and “killing thousands of children” in the process. He claims “this bill would save lives!” But I’ve explained elsewhere why this approach is futile.
Later in the speech, Biden also boasted that he’s already “strengthen[ed] penalties on fentanyl trafficking.” And while he did not devote specific attention to cannabis, he did note in passing that one of his achievements in office so far has been “directing my cabinet to review the federal classification of marijuana, expunging thousands of convictions for mere possession, because no one should be jailed for simply using, or have it on their record.”