OPINION: Partisan rancor takes a brief vacation
Chuck Malloy
Here’s something that you don’t normally see in Washington — the Democratic and Republican leaders of the Senate Finance Committee standing side-by-side at a news conference, talking about a bill aimed to help pharmacists and patients.
There was no casting of political blame, no bashing of President Biden’s policies, and no disparaging comments about former President Trump. It was two senators — Republican Mike Crapo of Idaho and Democrat Ron Wyden of Oregon — talking about a problem that has been around far too long.
They did not hide their frustrations about how pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) were making it challenging for patients (especially seniors) to obtain their needed medications. And there was no “diplomacy” when they talked about how these benefit managers, and their regulations, were driving community pharmacies out of business. Wyden and Crapo told the crowd of supporters at the virtual news conference that it’s high time for Congress to take action.
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