The U.S. Senate passed a sweeping economic package aimed at lowering healthcare costs and combating climate change on Sunday.
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 includes a cap on Medicare patients' costs for insulin—an expensive diabetes medication—at $35 per month.
But Democrats had wanted to extend the $35 cap to also include those with private insurance.
The bill, which was passed through a process known as budget reconciliation, allowed them to sidestep GOP opposition and avoid the usual 60-vote threshold to get past a Senate filibuster. But the Senate parliamentarian, the adviser who helps interpret Senate rules, determined the insulin price cap for private insurers violated reconciliation rules.
Republicans, led by Sen. Lindsey Graham, then moved to strike it from the bill. Graham has been contacted for comment.
While seven Republicans—Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Susan Collins of Maine, Josh Hawley of Missouri, Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi, John Kennedy of Louisiana, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Dan Sullivan of Alaska—voted with all 50 Democrats to preserve the provision, that fell shy of the 60 votes needed to preserve the provision and it was ultimately cut from the bill.
Sen. Patty Murray, a Democrat from Washington, called the vote "shameful" and said it would force "countless patients to continue rationing their insulin—putting their lives at risk."
She added: "Everyone should be able to afford the lifesaving medicine they need."
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democrat from New York, wrote in a tweet: "We've already seen far too many people risk their lives and health by rationing insulin they can't afford. It's unconscionable that we're letting this tragedy continue."
Republicans just voted AGAINST our $35/month insulin cap for patients on private insurance, forcing countless patients to continue rationing their insulin—putting their lives at risk.
— Senator Patty Murray (@PattyMurray) August 7, 2022
Everyone should be able to afford the lifesaving medicine they need. This is shameful. pic.twitter.com/sATCFjQhBU
Democratic Rep. Bill Pascrell, of New Jersey, said on Twitter that Republicans "told millions of Americans who use insulin to go to hell. Remember their names."
The 43 Republicans who voted against the price cap are:
- John Barrasso, WY
- Marsha Blackburn, TN
- Roy Blunt, MO
- John Boozman, AR
- Mike Braun, IN
- Richard Burr, NC
- Shelly Moore Capito, WV
- John Cornyn, TX
- Tom Cotton, AR
- Kevin Cramer, ND
- Mike Crapo, ID
- Ted Cruz, TX
- Steve Daines, MT
- Joni Ernst, IA
- Deb Fischer, NE
- Lindsey Graham, SC
- Chuck Grassley, IA
- Bill Hagerty, TN
- John Hoeven, ND
- Jim Inhofe, OK
- Ron Johnson, WI
- James Lankford, OK
- Mike Lee, UT
- Cynthia Lummis, WY
- Roger Marshall, KS
- Mitch McConnell, KY
- Jerry Moran, KS
- Rand Paul, KY
- Rob Portman, OH
- Jim Risch, ID
- Mitt Romney, UT
- Mike Rounds, SD
- Marco Rubio, FL
- Ben Sasse, NE
- Rick Scott, FL
- Tim Scott, SC
- Richard Shelby, AL
- John Thune, SD
- Thom Tillis, NC
- Patrick Toomey, PA
- Tommy Tuberville, AL
- Roger Wicker, MS
- Todd Young, IN
Correction 8/09/22, 11:13 a.m. ET: This article has been corrected to note that Cindy Hyde-Smith is a senator from Mississippi, not West Virginia.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Khaleda Rahman is Newsweek's National Correspondent based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on abortion rights, race, education, sexual ... Read more
