As Senate Finance Committee Convenes on Healthcare Costs, First Do No Harm
As the United States Senate Finance Committee convenes today for a meeting entitled "The Rising Cost of Health Care: Considering Meaningful Solutions for All Americans," the enduring adage of medical care applies: Do no harm.
Specifically, as we've detailed at CFIF, we must especially avoid potentially catastrophic ideas like drug price controls (whether through so-called "Most Favored Nation" (MFN) programs or any other) and violations of patent and intellectual property (IP) protections in which the United States leads the world. Indeed, our more free-market approach explains why America leads the world in lifesaving healthcare innovation, accounting for an astonishing two-thirds of all new drugs introduced to the world each year:
The reasons that MFN schemes would only exacerbate…[more]
With a March 1 deadline looming, it’s up to Senate Republicans to corral enough votes to fund the Department of Homeland Security before it goes into a temporary shutdown.
At least, that’s the message coming from House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH).
“You know, in the gift shop out here, they’ve got these little booklets on how a bill becomes a law,” Boehner said during a Wednesday press conference at the Capitol. “The House has done its job! Why don’t you go ask the Senate Democrats when they’re going to get off their ass and do something?!”…