[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 81 (Wednesday, May 14, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H2010]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                INTRODUCING LEGISLATION ON DRUG PRICING

  (Mr. Khanna of California was recognized to address the House for 5 
minutes.)
  Mr. KHANNA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce as legislation 
President Trump's executive order for the most-favored-nation status on 
drug pricing.
  My legislation will codify President Trump's executive order, which 
basically says that Americans should not pay more for drugs than people 
in other countries and other parts of the world.
  Right now, we are paying two to three times more for our drugs than 
people in other industrialized nations. This executive order, codified 
by the legislation, will allow our Cabinet Secretaries to put pressure 
on Big Pharma and make sure that they are not price gouging and will 
allow for the importation of cheaper drugs.
  Why do we need the legislation? The reality is that Big Pharma will 
sue over the executive order, like they did in the previous Trump 
administration. In the previous administration, they managed to kill 
the executive order. The only way we can stand up to Big Pharma is to 
codify legislation, which the President wants to do in an executive 
order.
  Here is the deal. If I can cross the aisle and support President 
Trump's executive order and legislation, every Republican should be 
willing to cross the aisle and support my legislation.
  It is a pretty simple test. Are we going to stand in this body with 
the $16 billion that Big Pharma spent on lobbying, or are we going to 
stand with the American people? We will know that answer based on how 
many cosponsors we get for my legislation that simply codifies Donald 
Trump's executive order.


                 Opposing Medicaid and NIH Budget Cuts

  Mr. KHANNA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to oppose the cruel budget cuts 
on Medicaid and NIH. I don't want to sensationalize. I just want to 
give some of the facts.
  The Republican budget would cut $715 billion from Medicaid. They are 
going to freeze this thing called a provider tax, which means that the 
Federal Government is going to give $600 billion less to hospitals 
across this country.
  That is going to mean, according to the independent Congressional 
Budget Office, that almost 8.6 million people will lose their 
insurance. It is going to mean that many hospitals won't be able to 
offer services in physical therapy and mental health counseling. It is 
going to mean, unfortunately, that rural hospitals close.
  Don't take my word for it. Take the word of Senator Josh Hawley, who 
represents the State of Missouri. He said that these Medicaid cuts 
would be a total betrayal by the President and the Republican Party of 
the working class.
  I never thought I would be quoting Josh Hawley, but everyone should 
read his op-ed. He was pretty clear that these cuts would be 
devastating for working families.
  Look at the cuts to the NIH. A report released today by the Senate 
says there is already a 31 percent decrease in cancer research in this 
country. The NIH has been decimated with 30 percent effectiveness and 
almost a 40 percent cut. This is money that goes not just into cancer 
research but into Alzheimer's research and Parkinson's research.
  We used to have a bipartisan consensus in this country that we did 
not cut Medicaid, that we did not cut medical research, and that we did 
not give more tax breaks in my district in Silicon Valley, to the 
billionaires in my district, at the expense of medical research and the 
working class.
  Mr. Speaker, I hope people in this body will reconsider the cruel 
cuts to Medicaid.

                              {time}  1045

  I hope people in this body will reconsider the cruel cuts to 
Medicaid, the cruel cuts to NIH, and tax the billionaires in my 
district a little more so we don't have to cut these essential 
programs.

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