A GOP leader’s stance setting up opposition to codify the president’s efforts at slashing drug prices appears to support that the “drug lobby is the strongest lobby in this country.”
On November 5, 2024, President Donald Trump’s resounding victory — that included his sweep of the swing states — also brought with it Republican majorities in the House and Senate. Despite that, congressional leaders have appeared to do little in the way of codifying the president’s executive orders into law, and now Senate Majority Leader John Thune (SD) is signaling that trend will continue where drug pricers are concerned.
“My assumption is that would be fairly controversial up here if we were doing it … legislatively,” the leader was on record saying as Trump sought another avenue to bring “fairness to America” with his most-favored-nation prescription drug pricing plan.
“He clearly wants lower drug prices and it’s something, I think, like a lot of other issues that he’s had a passion about and believed in for a long time,” Thune said as Republican Sens. John Barrasso (WY), Chuck Grassely (IA) and James Lankford (OK) were also on record balking at the executive order, according to The Hill.
During his Monday signing ceremony, Trump spoke with the press and called out that the “drug lobby is the strongest lobby in this country.”
The Hill detailed that, in 2024, lobbying by the pharmaceutical industry amounted to $387 billion. As it happened, concerns were raised in the past about the influence that the largest employer in South Dakota, Sanford Health, had had on then-Gov. Kristi Noem’s (R) decision to veto legislation banning males from competing in girls’ and women’s sports.
Meanwhile, Thune’s position came the same day that he took to the Senate floor to decry Democrats for opposing a cryptocurrency regulation bill and said, “But unfortunately, it’s pretty clear that obstructing, not legislating, is Democrats’ priority right now.”
He went on to add, “Mr. President, until Democrats come to their senses and allow us to proceed to the GENIUS Act, we’re going to turn to nominations — another area where, unfortunately, Democrats have made obstruction the name of the game.”
It’s pretty clear that obstructing, not legislating, is Democrats’ priority right now.
Since we’re not able to consider the GENIUS Act this week, thanks to Democrats, we’re going to turn to nominations – another area where they have made obstruction the name of the game. pic.twitter.com/n05UyFZdbf
— Leader John Thune (@LeaderJohnThune) May 12, 2025
Of course, Thune’s posturing came after the president was forced to withdraw his nomination of Ed Martin for U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C., instead naming former Judge Jeanine Pirro, as RINOs — most notably North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis — were blocking the nomination. Had the nomination of Martin remained and failed to go through by May 19, 2025, lawmakers had said that U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, who has attempted to block the president’s deportation efforts, would be responsible for selecting the person to fill the position.
Regarding the executive order, Trump explained his instructions to both House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Thune, “I said when you score, you’re going to have to score the hundreds of billions of dollars of tariff money that’s coming in. But even bigger than that, you’re going to have to score that your cost for Medicaid and Medicare and just basically pharmaceuticals and drugs are going down at a level that nobody has ever seen before.”
Word of Senate leadership’s opposition to the president found social media slamming what users considered to be the latest example of the “uniparty” beholden to lobbyists and donors.
Because Thune, like too many in the Senate, serves donors, not voters. Big Pharma lines their pockets while Americans go broke paying 10x more for the same meds others get cheap. Trump’s most favored nation order cuts through the scam. If Thune blocks it, he’s proving he’s not…
— Noah Christopher (@DailyNoahNews) May 13, 2025
How is THAT CONTROVERSIAL! Oh I forgot.. it’s for US citizens whom they hate!!!
— Imulus (@RedlerMaur66218) May 13, 2025
Fairly controversial? What’s controversial is Americans paying outrageous prices for life-saving meds while other countries get them cheaper. @LeaderJohnThune , are you working for Big Pharma or the American people?!!
Time to put America First … codify it!
— Red Tusker (@RedTusker) May 13, 2025
What’s controversial about reducing drug prices? I bet if we looked at his biggest donors, we’d see the problem though.
— Someone Important (@justimportant2) May 13, 2025
President Trump is on his own.
Just like his first term.
— MatthewJshow (@MatthewJshow) May 13, 2025
I can’t despise Congress enough.
— LibertyLinda (@LibertyLinda4) May 13, 2025
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
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