
Manchin plays spoiler again, but drug pricing reforms remain on the table
West Virginia Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin has made loud and clear how much his single vote matters for the Senate Dems, and their even 50-50 split with Republicans, once again laying guardrails around a reconciliation package that could pass with that simple majority — thanks to VP Kamala Harris.
But for the former Mylan CEO’s father, Manchin’s already forged an agreement on drug pricing reforms, which his daughter’s former industry group officially opposes. The CBO has since projected the new negotiations will save the federal government $288 billion through 2031, a far cry from Nancy Pelosi’s HR 3, but could reduce drugmakers’ potential output of about 1,300 total drug approvals over 30 years by about 10 drugs.
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