House Republicans Defy Big Pharma

It’s a well-established fact that Big Pharma exerts far too much influence over Congress. The drug industry is one of the most powerful lobbies in Washington D.C. and spent record sums in 2024 to advance its interests. But House Republicans managed to defy the drugmakers’ influence right before the start of 2025.

In the much-disputed continuing resolution, Republicans took out regulations Big Pharma desperately wanted. They were aimed at pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), which are third-party operators that negotiate drug prices with the drugmakers on behalf of health insurance beneficiaries. PBMs are proven to lower costs for ordinary consumers. That bothers the drugmakers, who want PBMs stifled to allow Big Pharma to have the final say over costs.

Republicans refused to do the bidding of the drug giants and discarded the regulations that the industry spent millions to push on Capitol Hill.

The move upset Big Pharma and its allies, but it should be welcome news for the American people. Many of our healthcare problems are caused by the drugmakers and their insatiable greed. It’s right for Republicans to ignore the industry’s demands and do what’s right for the people. The PBM regulations only serve the pharmaceutical industry’s bottom line, not the needs of the average American.

Many Republicans are aware of the problem with Big Pharma.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Donald Trump’s pick to head the Department of Health and Human Services, is an ardent Big Pharma foe. RFK Jr.’s strategy to “Make America Healthy Again” includes eliminating the industry’s privileges that allow it to jack up drug prices. He wants to encourage more negotiations on drug prices and eliminate the FDA’s fee for new drug approval to allow for more competition. He also wants to end the collusion between the FDA and Big Pharma. He wants to stop the funding the government agency receives from the drugmakers and curb the revolving door between the industry and regulators. These ideas will reduce Big Pharma’s stranglehold over American healthcare and give Americans more options for their drug needs.

The PBM regulations do the opposite. They fortify Big Pharma’s stranglehold over the market. Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul recognizes this. Last year, the senator lambasted drugmaker-backed legislation to curtail PBMs. “Instead of lowering drug prices, this bill likely will put more money in the pockets of the big pharma CEOs,” Paul wrote in an op-ed. “The truth is the left’s bill is being rammed through the Senate because some special interests want to weaken PBMs. Drug companies don’t like that PBMs have the size and bargaining power to cut into their profit margins, and they blame a complicated payment system PBMs use for why they won’t lower prices.”

It’s refreshing to hear a senator speak frankly on Big Pharma. Too many just say what the industry’s lobbyists want them to say. This is what all those millions get them. Thankfully, there are politicians like Rand Paul and RFK who will take a different path.

Republicans sent a strong message in refusing to follow Big Pharma’s dictates. It should stand as the standard for how the GOP deals with the industry under Trump. Well-moneyed interests shouldn’t determine what’s best for the American people—it should be left to the people themselves. Breaking the power of Big Pharma will help make America great and healthy again.