According to newsnation President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris joined forces on the campaign trail Thursday for the first time since Biden officially launched his reelection bid. As Harris continues to carve out her own identity while working in tandem with Biden, she is set to emphasize the accomplishments of the Biden-Harris administration during their time in office.
The duo’s previous public appearance together occurred earlier this month when they welcomed Americans back to the U.S. after a large-scale prisoner swap with Russia.
New Medicare Drug Pricing Deal
On Wednesday, federal officials made significant progress in their effort to lower the cost of prescription drugs for Medicare recipients. Agreements were struck with drug manufacturers to reduce prices for 10 of Medicare’s most commonly used and expensive drugs. However, details of the specific price reductions were not yet available to the public.
Biden and Harris traveled to Maryland on Thursday to announce the expected financial impact of this first wave of Medicare drug price negotiations. The administration anticipates savings of $6 billion from the negotiations, with older Americans projected to save around $1.5 billion on their medications.
Though the newly negotiated prices remained undisclosed as of early Thursday, these changes will impact millions of seniors who rely on medications to manage conditions like diabetes, blood cancers, heart failure, and blood clot prevention. Among the drugs included in the negotiations are popular blood thinners Xarelto and Eliquis, along with diabetes treatments Jardiance and Januvia. Last year, Medicare spent a staggering $50 billion on these drugs.
Biden emphasized that this is just the beginning of drug price negotiations under the new legislation. Harris’ role in pushing this initiative forward is expected to be a key element of her presidential campaign, especially since her tie-breaking vote in the Senate was pivotal in passing the law.
“They’re fighting to get rid of what we just passed,” Biden remarked at the Maryland rally, referring to Republican opposition. He also praised Harris, saying that with the progress they’ve made, she is well-positioned to be “one hell of a president.”
Focus on Lowering Costs for Americans
Since securing the Democratic nomination, Harris has made lowering costs for Americans a core focus of her campaign. She is working to create a vision for the future of the country that builds on the administration’s work while laying out her own independent ideas.
“One thing that I know for sure is that this president and this vice president are working tirelessly to strengthen the middle class,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said of Harris’ evolving vision.
Harris is expected to unveil part of her economic agenda in North Carolina on Friday, where she plans to present additional strategies to cut costs and increase incomes for middle-class Americans.
