GOP lawmaker meets with Ryan to push for drug pricing bill

by Peter Sullivan - 03/08/18 12:55 PM ET

Rep. Tom Marino (R-Pa.) says he met with Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) on Wednesday to push for the inclusion of a measure to fight high drug prices in a coming government funding bill.

The bill, called the Creates Act, has support from members of both parties but has faced strong lobbying in opposition from the powerful pharmaceutical industry.

“I’m pushing for it,” said Marino, the lead sponsor of the bill. “We had a meeting and there are a couple of issues we need to work on.”

The measure is one of the few areas of possible action on high drug prices this year, an issue that both parties are increasingly highlighting, including President Trump.

{mosads}The bill is intended to allow more generic drugs, which are cheaper, onto the market by cracking down on delay tactics that pharmaceutical companies use to deter competition from generics.

But Marino said some changes need to be made to the bill, though he did not characterize them as “significant.”

“The only purpose that I’m concerned with is having cheaper drugs,” he said.

Some Republicans have objected that the bill could create frivolous litigation by generic drug companies, and Marino indicated the litigation area is an item being worked on.

He said meetings will continue into next week, when the government funding bill could be voted on.

Tags Donald Trump Paul Ryan Tom Marino